Stories about how they injected and injected air during the procedure are quite widespread. Some do not even allow intravenous injections - they are so afraid. But in reality, what happens if air enters a vein? Is instant death really?
The danger of intravenous injection
The danger posed by intravenous injections is greatly exaggerated by the townsfolk. It is no secret that before becoming experienced medical workers, students of higher and secondary medical institutions undergo practical training. And intravenous injections do not work right for them right away. If in a situation where air enters a vein, the consequences were fatal, the population would noticeably thinned.
In order for an air embolism to occur, and this is what the condition is called when air enters the bloodstream and leads to death, at least 10 ml of air must be introduced into the vein. Moreover, to do it so cunningly that he immediately penetrated into the large arteries and clogged the gaps in the lungs. With an intravenous injection, the limb into which the needle is inserted is located horizontally, below the level of the heart, so that the air bubble can do no mortal harm
Therefore, the answer to the question of what will happen if air enters a vein during an injection is as follows: nothing terrible will happen.
When is air getting into the bloodstream dangerous?
We single out the factors in which air entering the bloodstream can lead to negative, and sometimes irreversible, consequences:
- injuries or injuries that occur in the area of the passage of large vessels;
- unsuccessful surgery;
- pathological labor.
What happens if air enters a vein when injured or traumatized in the chest or neck? In the thoracic region, pressure is always lower than the surrounding atmospheric pressure. And the neck area is located above the level of the heart. Air is sucked in under pressure into large vessels and simply breaks the circulatory system. The consequences of such damage are irreversible.
It is also impossible to stop air embolism during improper surgical procedures or during childbirth. Air in the open blood vessels or in the vena cava of the uterus when it is reduced is absorbed instantly.
If air gets into a vein in the above situations, doctors predict a fatal outcome.
Dangerous professions
Divers, pilots - all whose professions are associated with overloads caused by sudden changes in pressure are at risk of saturation of the circulatory system with air. What happens if air enters a vein with a pressure drop, and how does it happen?
The impact on a person of changing pressure should occur rather slowly. If a diver rises from great depths quickly, or a coffer worker is urgently taken out of the chamber, the air in the blood vessels literally boils. The resulting nitrogen bubbles, which are exhausted under normal circumstances, clog the alveoli, entering the pulmonary circulation. This may cause decompression sickness.
Her symptoms:
- weakness;
- bleeding from the nose or ears;
- loss of orientation;
- inability to move.
If a person has time to put in a pressure chamber, then the grave consequences can be avoided.
Before answering the question: “What will happen if air enters a vein?”, It is necessary to clarify the circumstances in which this happened. Only then will it be possible to give a reliable answer.