• Benjamin S Storm, Stine Andreasen, Anders Hovland, and Erik W Nielsen.
• From the Departments of *Anesthesia and Intensive Care, †Gynecology and Obstetrics, and ‡Cardiology, Nordland Hospital, Bodø, Norway; and §Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø, Nord University, Bodø, and University of Oslo, Norway.
• A A Case Rep. 2017 Sep 1; 9 (5): 140-143.

AbstractDuring a period of 1 month, 3 episodes of probable or actual venous air embolism occurred during hysteroscopic surgery. All patients developed the same symptoms of ventilatory and hemodynamic decompensation, beginning with a reduction in end-tidal carbon dioxide, arterial desaturation, and cyanosis on the upper trunk, and rapidly progressed to hypotension and 2 cardiac arrests. While entrainment of some air is common during hysteroscopy, life-threatening embolism is a rare but serious complication for which an anesthetist needs to be vigilant and prepared. If even a small drop in end-tidal carbon dioxide occurs, venous air embolism should be suspected and the operation should be discontinued.

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