Pulmonary Air Embolism in Rats

Abstract

Pulmonary air embolism may result from surgery (Helms- 1.vorth, 1963), scuba diving (Whitcraft and Karas, 1976), and gunshot wounds (Smith et. al., 1976), as well as from ascending rapidly to high altitudes, blast injury, hemo­ dialysis, angiography, catheterization, IV therapy, and a host of other causes (Hart, 1974). As such, elucidation of the hemodynamic and ventilatory changes which occur as a result of air embolization poses a practical problem for researchers and clinicians alike. In this study, the effect of rate and volume of air infused intravenously on systolic and diastolic right ·ventricular pressures (and by inference the pulmonary arterial pressure), systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure mean arterial blood pressure, pulse pressure, heart rate, and respiration rate of rats was investigated.