Fatal venous air embolism in the setting of hemodialysis and pulmonary hypertension: A point of care ultrasound diagnosis

• DOI: 10.1016/j.rmcr.2023.101819
• Publication Date: 2023-02-17T16:52:33Z
• Authors: Hamza Alzghoul; Phoebe Jin; Cyrus Vahdatpour; Bashar N. Alzghoul
• Keywords: Air embolism; Stethoscope

Air emboli are rare and often difficult to diagnose. Transesophageal echocardiography remains the most definitive method of diagnosis, but this is not feasible in emergencies. We present a case fatal air embolism setting hemodialysis with recent evidence pulmonary hypertension. The diagnosis was made by visualizing right ventricle using bedside point care ultrasound (POCUS). While POCUS routinely used for embolism, its accessibility makes it powerful yet practical emerging tool respiratory cardiovascular