Iatrogenic Hepatic Pneumovenogram

Table 2

Complications of venous air embolism.

Hemodynamic	Increased pulmonary vascular resistance
	Pulmonary artery hypertension
	Increased right ventricular pressure
	Decrease in cardiac output
	Myocardial ischemia
Pulmonary	Hypoxemia (from alveolar flooding and ventilation-perfusion mismatching)
	Increased physiologic dead space
	Decreased lung compliance secondary to pulmonary edema
	Increased airway resistance (postulated to be due to release of bronchoconstricting mediators such as serotonin and histamine from endothelium damaged by the air bubbles)
Systemic	Ischemic damage from microcirculation by air bubbles
	Secondary tissue damage from the release of inflammatory mediators and oxygen free radicals