Singer Saulo Pôncio is admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to a gas embolism. The artist was taken to the hospital on the night of Tuesday, October 3, after feeling severe chest pains.
According to the singer's social network, he was diagnosed with gas embolism due to the presence of air obstructing his blood circulation.
Air embolism is a situation that can be addressed in Biology entrance exams and Enem exams, for example. For this reason, it is interesting to study what air embolism is, the symptoms, causes and consequences.
What is air embolism?
Air embolism, or gas embolism, is the obstruction of blood vessels due to the presence of bubbles in arteries and veins, as This article from the Biology teacher at Brasil Escola.
The entry of air obstructs circulation, in gas embolism, which can mean that some areas of the body are not irrigated, causing a deficiency of oxygenation.
The article also shows that this lack of irrigation in gas embolism can be dangerous, especially when it affects regions such as the brain and myocardium, which are very sensitive to low rates of
oxygen.Why does air embolism occur?
Air embolism can occur in medical procedures, such as craniotomy, angiography, mechanical ventilation, cesarean section and extracorporeal circulation procedures.
Cases of gas embolism can also be recorded in diving accidents, in which the air trapped in the diver's lungs can expand during ascent.
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What are the symptoms of air embolism?
This article list that the main symptoms of air embolism are:
Sudden shortness of breath
Chest pain
Dizziness
Nausea
Confusion
Loss of consciousness
What are the consequences of air embolism?
Air embolism is a serious event that can even lead to death. The severity, however, will depend on the volume and rate of gas infusion and the structures that are affected. Air embolism can cause obstruction of blood flow to various parts of the body, being potentially fatal when it occurs in the heart and in the brain, which are regions very sensitive to conditions of low oxygen concentration.
When air embolism obstructs the pulmonary trunk, it triggers acute overload of the right ventricle, which causes acute heart failure, being a serious problem for those with cardiovascular problems prior. When it reaches the lung, can cause lung inflammation, which leads to pulmonary edema and impaired organ function.
In some cases, air embolism affects only one organ, however, in other situations, it can occur in a disseminated manner, that is, the gas travels to various parts of the body.
Image credit:
Shutterstock
By Silvia Tancredi
Journalist
