What Researchers Did
Researchers detailed the case of a 21-year-old suicidal man who developed cerebral and coronary air emboli during an emergency department evaluation.
What They Found
They found that a 21-year-old suicidal man, 2 hours into his emergency department evaluation, suddenly became unconscious with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 3 and developed a dense left-sided hemiplegia. An electrocardiogram suggested acute myocardial infarction, and an echocardiogram revealed bi-ventricular gas artifact, leading to a diagnosis of coronary and cerebral air emboli. The patient made a full recovery after urgent resuscitation and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
As a single case report, the findings of this study are not generalizable to a broader patient population.