Air Symbolism Research Paper

An air embolism is cause when an air bubble is caught and blocks a blood vessel. It causes a cut off of blood to certain part of the body. There are many different ways of getting an air embolism. One is during surgery or just in the hospital, IV site are at a high risk because it is a line into a blood vessel. If the air embolism is not resolved it can make its way to your heart and cause it to stop. If an air embolism is in an artery it is extremely severe, because it can cut off blood flow to organs like the brain. When this happens it can cause a stroke or a heart attack it just depends on which part of the body it is located. An air embolism can also be cause if there has been damage to the lungs. If you are in an explosion the blast may force air into damaged arteries. Although air embolisms are extremely rare they do happen. …show more content…
If there is an air embolism in the brain it resembles a stroke which can cause confusion, partial paralysis, and some loss of sensation. If an air embolism is present in the lungs it can cause irregular breathing, a lack of oxygen in the body tissue, and also unconsciousness. More severe symptoms include shock and even death. Diagnosing an air embolism is simple because there would have had to been a situation that would have cause it. If you are in surgery or even after surgery and experience symptoms, a doctor may conclude an air embolism. Also if you have been in a sever accident like an explosion the doctor may determine the same results. Another incident would be a trauma to a lung this is where the symptoms of shortness of breath would be most present. If a doctor suspects an air embolism they will run tests like a CT scan or an ultrasound to determine where in the body it is