A syringe with air in a vein is a lethal dose. What happens if air is injected into a vein? Is it dangerous? What happens if air is injected into a vein with an intravenous injection or dropper

An air bubble trapped in a vein can cause blockage. This state is called air embolism ... Under what circumstances can it arise, what danger does it pose to human life and health?

Air can enter a vein only if it is punctured - punctured. Accordingly, this can happen when performing such manipulations as intravenous administration of drugs using a syringe or dropper. Many patients during such procedures are afraid of air entering the venous vessels and their anxiety has good reason. This is due to the fact that the air bubble blocks the lumen of the channel, thereby disrupting the process of blood microcirculation. That is, the development of embolism takes place. A high risk of severe complications and even death occurs when large arteries are blocked.

Possible consequences

It is believed that if air enters a vein, it will be fatal. Is it true? Yes, this is quite possible, but only if its large volume penetrates - at least 20 cubes. Unintentionally when intravenous administration such a medicine cannot happen. Even if air bubbles were present in the syringe with the drug, then its amount is not enough to cause life-threatening consequences. Small plugs dissolve rather quickly under blood pressure and the process of its circulation immediately
is restored.

In the case of air embolism, the risk of death is not high and the prognosis will be favorable, provided that medical care.

Complications of the condition can be such phenomena:

• paresis - temporary numbness of a part of the body, to which blood began to flow poorly due to blockage of the feeding vessel by an air bubble;
• the formation of a seal and blue at the puncture site;
• dizziness;
• general malaise;
• short-term fainting.

Vein injection 20 cc. air can provoke oxygen starvation of the brain or heart muscle, which in turn will lead to the development of a heart attack or stroke.

In the absence of timely medical care, the risk of death of the victim increases. The danger of death increases if air enters the vein during a severe surgical intervention, in the process of complicated generic activity, as well as in case of serious injuries and injuries that are accompanied by damage to large blood vessels.

Air embolism can provoke death in the event that the body's compensatory capabilities are insufficient, and medical assistance was provided out of time.

Air in a vein does not always lead to a blockage. Bubbles can move through the bloodstream, penetrating into smaller vessels and capillaries. At the same time, they either dissolve or block their lumen, which practically does not affect the general well-being of a person. Pronounced symptoms occur only when hit a large volume of air in large significant blood channels.

Injections and droppers

During the injection process, there is a possibility of air bubbles entering thevein.

To avoid this, the nurses shake off the contents of the syringe and release some of the medicine before giving the injection. Thus, the accumulated air comes out together with the preparation. This is done not only in order to avoid dangerous consequences, but also in order to reduce the pain of the injection itself. After all, when an air bubble enters the vein, this causes very unpleasant sensations in the patient, as well as the formation of a hematoma in the puncture area. When setting droppers, the likelihood of air entering the vein is practically zero, since all bubbles are also released from the system.

Conclusion

In order to prevent unwanted complications after the injection, you need to seek help only from specialized medical institutionswhere manipulations are performed by qualified medical personnel. It is not recommended to carry out the procedure yourself or to trust it to persons who do not have the necessary skills.

It is observed when a sufficient amount of air (approximately 150 ml) enters the bloodstream.

Etiology of air embolism

1. Traumatic (According to ICD-10 - T79.0 - Air embolism (traumatic).
2. Surgery or trauma to the internal jugular vein. In case of damage to the internal jugular vein, negative pressure in chest leads to suction of air into it. This does not happen when other veins are damaged, because they are separated by valves from negative pressure in the chest cavity.
3. Childbirth and abortion. (According to ICD-10: "... air embolism complicating:. Abortion, ectopic or molar pregnancy (O00-O07, O08.2). Pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum period (O88.0) ... “Very rarely, air embolism can occur during childbirth or abortion, when air can be forced into the ruptured placental venous sinuses during uterine contractions.
4. Embolism with blood transfusion, intravenous infusion (droppers), X-ray contrast angiographic studies. Air embolism occurs only if the manipulation technique is violated.
5. With inadequately conducted mechanical ventilation in conditions of hyperbaric oxygenation.

A lethal dose of air in air embolism

“... even experiments on animals, where the amount of air introduced can be accurately measured, did not lead researchers to a consensus on the lethal dose of air.

N.I. Pirogov (1852) showed that with the gradual introduction of air into vascular system you can enter a large amount of it without much harm. He injected into the veins of the dog for 3-4 hours. up to ten three-liter non-fatal air siphons. At the same time, small amounts of air injected suddenly caused rapid death.

Similar observations are cited by V.V. Pashutin (1881). He demonstrated at the lecture a dog weighing 9 kg, which was introduced into jugular vein continuous stream for 1.5 hours. more than 60 cubic meters cm of air, and the dog did not show any noticeable disorders. In another experiment V.V. Pashutin demonstrated the rapid onset of death in a small dog when 50 cubic meters were injected into the jugular vein within a few seconds. cm air.

F.N. Ilyin (1913) conducted a series of experiments in which air, with the help of a special device, flowed by gravity into the veins of the pelvis, while it turned out that animals tolerate the introduction of large quantities of air for a long time. Dogs that were injected with a very large amount of air, even exceeding twice the amount of the entire mass of blood, at a speed of up to 60-70 cubic meters. cm per minute, at a pressure close to zero, they continued to live without visible painful symptoms. The danger increased with the introduction of pressurized air. By introducing air to the dog in v. cruralis, with an average speed of 44 cu. cm in 1 min. it took 660 cubic meters. cm to kill the animal. In his experiments, FN Ilyin administered to dogs for a long time up to 1500-2000 cubic meters. cm.

G. Gazelhorst (1924) indicates that different animals transfer air embolism in different ways. He considers rabbits very sensitive and unsuitable for experiments on air embolism, in connection with which he conducted his experiments on dogs, considering that lethal dose air for humans and large dog approximately the same. If administered to dogs up to 8.5 cubic meters. cm of air per 1 kg of weight for a short period of time, then animals, as a rule, experience circulatory disorders that arise, which gradually subside. Meanwhile, smaller amounts of air injected at the same time cause death.

S.S. Sokolov (1930), in experiments on dogs, determined a lethal dose of air at 10 cubic meters. cm per 1 kg of weight. J. B. Wolfe and G.B. Robertson (Wolffe and Robertson, 1935) experimentally established that the lethal dose for a rabbit is 0.5, and for a dog 15 cubic meters. cm per 1 kg of weight. As for humans, the authors believed that the amount of air that can accidentally enter during conventional venous injections is not dangerous.

F. Yumaguzin (1938) observed death in experiments with the introduction of 1 cubic meter. cm of air for a rabbit weighing 1-1.5 kg. I. Pines (Pines, 1939) administered to a cat up to 2 liters of air for a long time and did not observe the death of the animal. E.F. Nikulchenko (1945), in experiments on dogs with air embolism, observed death when 5 ml of air was administered per 1 kg of body weight. He considers this dose to be lethal.

N.V. Popov (1950) indicates that the entry into the vascular bed is 5-10 cubic meters. cm of air does not lead to any serious consequences due to its dissolution in the blood. A slightly larger amount of air in 15-20 cubic meters. cm can lead to severe disorders and even death.

P. Berg (Berg, 1951) provides data on the lethal dose of air for animals different types and a person. While rabbits die from 4 cubic meters. cm and even less air, dogs carry 20-200 cubic meters. cm, and horses 4000-6000. There are observations that a person can tolerate the introduction of air up to 20 cubic meters. see S.P. Berg cites data from a number of authors: for example, lethal dose of air for humans according to Volkmann - 40, according to Anthon - 60, according to Bergmann - even 100 cubic meters. cm.

I.P. Davitaya (1952) also provides literature data on the lethal dose of air for various animal species. For a dog, this is up to 80 cubic meters. cm, for rabbits 4-5, for a horse 4000, for a person from 400 to 6000 cubic meters. cm. Calculated for 1 kg of weight for rabbits it is 0.8-4, for a cat 5, for a dog from 5 to 7 ml. I.P. Davitaya reports on a case that took place in 1944 in a Berlin clinic. To an incurable patient with stomach cancer, in order to “ease death”, the “doctor” injected 300 ml of air into the cubital vein and the patient endured it. The case is an example of “caring” about a person in a capitalist society and the unseemly role of “doctors” in this. It is obvious that the lethal dose of air, in addition to a number of general circumstances and patterns, is also determined by the characteristics of the individual.

I.V. Davydovsky (1954) indicates that for a person the maximum harmless dose should be considered only 15-20 cubic meters. cm air. This calculation follows from the fact that surgeons sometimes observe the suction of air into the cervical veins without any particular consequences. Such suction occurs in a volume of 12-20 cubic meters. see. Decisive for the outcome of embolism, according to I.V. Davydovsky, is not only the amount of air and the speed of its entry into the veins, but also the distance from the wound site of the vessel to the heart. Wounds in the superior vena cava are more dangerous than in the inferior vena cava, V. Felix (1957) considers air embolism as a lethal dose for humans in the range of 17-100, for dogs up to 370 cubic meters. cm..."

Diagnosis of air embolism on a corpse

Macroscopic signs of air embolism

Venous air embolism

• Expansion of the right half of the heart on examination, which sometimes appears balloon-like swollen.
• Translucidation of foamy blood containing air bubbles through the wall of the right ear
• Air bubbles are visible through the walls of the inferior vena cava and pulmonary veins at the roots of the lungs (when significant volumes of air enter).
• Floating of the heart containing air to the surface of the water when pouring water into the pericardial sac.
• Ascending when an isolated heart is immersed in water, i.e. the heart, which, after preliminary ligation of the vessels entering and leaving it, together with the lungs, is removed from the chest cavity or cut off from the organocomplex.
• The presence of air in the cavities of the heart (see Suntsov's test).
• The presence of blood clots containing air bubbles in the cavities of the heart. If you immerse one containing air bubbles, blood clot into a vessel with water, then it floats to the surface (MV Lisakovich, 1958).
• Isolation of foamy blood from the inferior vena cava when it is opened under water poured into the peritoneal cavity - Adrianov's test (A.D. Adrianov, 1955).
• Drainage of foamy blood from the surface of the incisions in the liver (see the sample of Grigorieva P.V.), kidneys and spleen. (Thus, the dripping of frothy blood from the surface of the incision of the liver, kidneys and spleen can be observed not only with venous air embolism, but also with other causes of death. This shows that given sign cannot be considered specific for venous air embolism; it only has an auxiliary meaning.)

“... There are indications (Desyatov, 1956, Lisakovich, 1958) that with experimental venous air embolism subendocardial hemorrhages are noted and that they can be regarded as a sign of venous air embolism. ... there is good reason to believe that hemorrhage under the endocardium is not a diagnostic sign of venous air embolism. Firstly, they may be absent altogether, as was the case in our experiments on animals, and secondly, they can be observed in connection with other reasons, in particular, with blood loss, which is often combined with air embolism ... "

“... It must be assumed that the absence of specific macroscopically distinguishable changes in the brain during arterial air embolism is one of the reasons for the difficulties that one has to face when diagnosing this type of death. Macroscopically visible changes in the brain, described by a number of authors, according to their own statement, are nonspecific for arterial air embolism and can occur with other causes of death. This includes, first of all, air bubbles in the vessels of soft meninges and hemorrhages in the substance of the brain ... "

Histological signs of air embolism

“... Microscopic data are scarce, but they should not be neglected. In the vessels of the lungs, cellular structures are revealed. Important diagnostic value has the establishment under a microscope of aerothrombi, which have the appearance of cavities surrounded by fibrin threads and blood corpuscles. Such blood clots in the heart can be located parietally, between the muscle bars and under the valves.

In the liver, brain and kidneys, congestion and edema are found. In the spleen - anemia of the red pulp, in the lungs atelectasis, edema, hemorrhages, areas of emphysema, rupture of the interalveolar septa. If 1-2 hours have passed from the moment of embolism to death, then microscopically, small hemorrhages and foci of necrosis are detected in the brain, and dystrophic processes in other organs. "

Venous air embolism

„...“ Foamy blood ”in the vessels of the lungs was revealed by us not only during drowning, but also with other causes of death. Detection of a sign of "frothy blood" in the vessels of the lungs in cases of sudden death of diseases of cardio-vascular system and lungs, with various kinds of asphyxia (including drowning), electrical injury and other causes of death, gives reason to believe that the state plays a role in the mechanism of penetration of air bubbles into the vessels of the lungs lung tissue and its vessels, in particular, the permeability of the walls of the vessels of the lungs and intrapulmonary pressure, which with the indicated causes of death can increase ... "

Arterial air embolism

• Air emboli when examining the choroid plexuses of the brain under a stereomicroscope.
• Air emboli in the vessels of the fundus and in the anterior chamber of the eyes under the cornea.

“A thin thread ligature is applied to the vascular plexus at the base of the ligature and then cut outside of these ligatures. Then the choroid plexuses are carefully removed from the ventricular cavities with forceps and scissors. It should be emphasized that on human corpses, the removal of vascular plexuses from the cavities of the ventricles should be carried out only after preliminary ligation at the base. Without this, due to the wide lumen of the plexus vessels in humans, which is much larger than in animals, it is possible that air can enter the plexus vessels if they are damaged during removal. The imposition of ligatures on them prevents this possibility ...

After removal, the choroid plexuses are placed on glass slides and examined for light. At the same time, the air bubbles in the plexus vessels are clearly distinguishable with the naked eye. However, these air bubbles are especially well and clearly visible when examining the vascular plexuses under a microscope. A biological microscope is used to examine the vascular plexuses placed on glass slides under normal low illumination of the specimen ...

The presence of "frothy blood" in the vessels of the brain occurs not only in death from arterial air embolism, but also in other causes of death, and this symptom is not specific for air embolism large circle blood circulation ... "

Sources

Air Embolism Publications

1. Blyakhman S.D. Air embolism for blunt and firearms Abstracts of reports for the eleventh extended conference of the Leningrad branch of VNOSM and K and the scientific session of the Institute of Forensic Medicine of the Ministry of Health of the USSR on June 27-30, 1961 // L., 1961, 59-61.
2. Zharkova E.B. Air embolism as a complication of infusion into the veins of the head // Collection of works on forensic medicine and forensic chemistry Perm, 1961, 107 - 109.
3. Monastyrskaya V.I., Blyakhman S.D. Air embolism in forensic and dissection practice. Dushanbe, 1963, 133 p.
4. Blyakhman S.D. Air embolism in transport injury // Proceedings of the Republican Bureau of Forensic Medicine and the Department of Forensic Medicine of the Tajik State Medical Institute. Dushanbe, 1963, 8, 121-124.
5. Blyakhman S.D. Air embolism in transport injury and ways of its detection // Materials of the 5th All-Union Scientific Conference of Forensic Physicians. M.,<Медицина>... L, 1969, 1, 84-86.
6. Abaev A.A. False air embolism on corpses after taking fibrinolytic blood // Forensic-medical examination... M., 1969, 2, 45-46.
7. Raikhman V.I. Air embolism in medical pneumoperitoneum // Health of Belarus. Minsk, 1971, 1, 83.
8. Figurnov V.A., Toroyan I.A. Air embolism as a complication of tuberculous lymphadenitis // Forensic medical examination. 1988. No. 4. P. 54.

First of all, injecting something into a vein without a doctor's prescription and his direct participation in this is NOT ALLOWED! This is a direct threat to your health, because the slightest negligence or non-observance of safety standards can lead, if not tragic, but very unpleasant consequences.

As for the air itself, this is a classic detective story where the victim is injected with air into a vein, and this is fatal. In this case, pathologists are not able to prove the intervention from the outside. But this, of course, is in fiction, and what will happen if air is injected into a vein in reality?

Air in a vein: is it fatal?

When any gas enters the vein, an air embolism occurs, which means a blockage of blood vessels, an obstacle to the movement of blood masses by an air bubble. How dangerous it is, it is impossible to answer unequivocally, it all depends on the situation and the amount of air introduced.

If small bubbles get into the vessels, there is no risk to health and well-being, the maximum you will get is a bruise and a lump.

However, what will happen if more air is injected into the vein - you may feel unwell, numbness in the place where the air moves, dizziness and even loss of consciousness is possible, but all this will pass rather quickly. An extreme case, which is dangerous to health, but not life threatening, is paralysis, which is possible with the introduction of a fairly large amount of air.

But if the bubble exceeds 20 cubes and falls into, the person is threatened with a complete blockage of the blood flow. The blood clot breaks off and causes a heart attack if it occurs in the region of the heart, or a stroke if in the region of the brain. All of this is fatal. Such cases are extremely rare, but still possible.

What happens if air enters a vein through an IV?

If you are afraid that air will enter your vein through medical errorthen you shouldn't worry about it. Modern systems droppers are designed in such a way that air, even its smallest bubble, is not able to enter the vein. In addition, all doctors carefully monitor that in

A question of this order arises today among many fans of action films and cool Hollywood TV series. Getting into a hospital bed, at the sight of a banal syringe or dropper, such suspicious patients feel a hurricane of the most unpleasant suspicions. What if the pretty nurse has little experience? Perhaps she confused the syringes with the medicine? Is the air out of the syringe balloon sufficient or is the nurse saving valuable medicines? And the dropper, with its numerous tubes and adapters, where such a dangerous air bubble can enter, causes panic, reaching a complete stupor ... Calling the patient's next question “what happens if you inject air to get it into the vein? What consequences will this cause? " From the mass of suspicions and questions, not only the desire to be treated, but also simply to live in such a world disappears.

Other sides of the embolism

There is no need to live according to the plots of far from top-notch films. The possibility of air entering a large vascular bed has been considered in the context of practical medicine for a long time. The physiology of this process is simple. Air entry into the artery is considered the most serious problem. This blocks the blood flow, which is called air embolism. It is this phrase that makes such a depressing impression on suspicious patients. Indeed, this situation allows you to seriously think about the consequences.

An airlock can not only block the flow of blood through the vascular bed. Having created a bubble, it can successfully wander through the arteries. The process proceeds gradually, air passes in parts into smaller vessels, up to the capillary network. It is she who provides blood supply to organs and systems, and any vital area may be completely isolated from the rest of the body. The consequences can be quite severe:

Heart attack... Formation of a coronary plug, necrosis of a fragment of the heart muscle of various sizes, depending on the diameter of the vessel.

Stroke... Atrophic changes in the tissues of the brain as a result of dysfunction of nutrition when the vein is blocked by an air plug.

Indeed, these are serious complications that can lead to very dangerous consequences... It is about them that the patients of manipulation rooms and clinics think. Widely reported in less professional literature, the Internet, heart and brain embolism can cause severe panic in patients with disabilities nervous system, up to psycho-emotional disorder.

Conjecture or reality?

In the real world, where classical medicine reigns, everything is somewhat different, not so terrible and not so impressive. Such clinical picture, which is described above, is observed only in about 1% of cases from the total amount of air entering the venous bed. In this context, just recall that the human body the fusion of the two main elements is inherent. It is as intrinsic to air as water.

From the school lessons of anatomy, everyone who even studied poorly learned that a life-giving fluid moves through the bloodstream - blood enriched with oxygen. That is, the presence of oxygen is a physiological norm and does not cause any discomfort to our tissues and organs. Why, according to the technology of intravenous injections, is it still necessary to remove all the air from a syringe or dropper?

In the presence of bubbles in the syringe, inject medicine difficult and painful to the patient.

The moment of penetration of bubbles into the vein of the patient feels quite acutely, pain can continue for a certain period of time, after which they pass.

In the treatment of many diseases, so-called air injections are used, when oxygen is injected under the skin or intramuscularly. Here it dissolves almost immediately and creates an excellent healing effect.

Some details about oxygen

Returning to the very essence of this issue, we note that today many people with one diagnosis or another study a lot of information of one or another level of quality and reliability. Therefore, an intravenous injection with two milliliters of oxygen is almost a universal "horror story". And this is understandable, no one will get pleasure from the thought that you can get serious complications from a simple intravenous injection.

The notorious several air bubbles will just as quickly find their place in the venous bed, where depleted blood flows from organs, nodes and functional systems, as when injected by the subcutaneous method. The minimum that can get into the vein will not do any harm. Of course, the danger is present, but this level is much higher, up to two hundred or more bubbles. Even if it is deliberately introduced for one reason or another, this situation is quickly and accurately determined by medical specialists in another industry. However, this is already a sphere considered in another aspect of the topic.

What are the confirmed lethal doses?

There are observations that with a quick introduction, a person can normally transfer the introduction of air into a vein up to 20 cubic meters without consequences and deterioration of the condition. see Lethal dose according to Volkman - 40, according to Anton - 60, according to Bergman - 100 cubic meters. see I.P. Davitaya speaks from a dose of 400 to 6000 cubic meters. see since in 1944 there was a case of injecting 300 ml of air into the cubital vein and the patient normally endured it. V. Felix names the number from 17 to 100. I.V. Davydovsky says that a harmless dose can still be called from 15 to 20 cubic meters. cm air.

Conclusion

To what extent can this be decided, done and undertaken in order to be protected from lethal troubles? In the medical field, you just need to visit a clinic with a well-proven reputation and carefully trained medical personnel. And with home procedures, you need to carefully monitor the removal of all air bubbles from a syringe, dropper or other devices and apparatus. But you will receive a full guarantee for your health and life exclusively from the hands of a professional, and therefore you should not risk it.