What Researchers Did
US clinicians reported a case of cerebral arterial gas embolism (CAGE) in a 30-year-old woman with hypoplastic left heart syndrome treated with emergency HBOT using U.S. Navy Treatment Table 6.
What They Found
The patient became unresponsive with intracranial air visible on CT during a platelet transfusion. Within 10 minutes of starting hyperbaric treatment she regained alertness; a follow-up CT the next day showed resolution of intracranial air with only small areas of ischemia. By day five her neurological exam was entirely normal.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Arterial gas embolism is an OHIP-covered emergency indication for HBOT in Ontario. This case demonstrates that even patients with complex congenital heart anatomy can benefit from emergency HBOT for gas embolism.
Canadian Relevance
Arterial gas embolism is a covered OHIP indication for HBOT, and this case reinforces the value of having timely access to hyperbaric facilities for gas embolism emergencies, a consideration relevant to Canadian emergency departments.
Study Limitations
A single case report cannot establish efficacy or guide treatment protocols; the unique cardiac anatomy in this patient may have altered how gas behaved under pressure.