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Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Expired CO2 Measurement in Intubated or Spontaneously Breathing Patients from the Emergency Department
Published on: January 29, 2011
[Suicidal gas embolism in hospital]
A Böckers1,2, S Steinhoff3, T Scholl4
1Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Prittwitzstr. 6, 89075 Ulm, Deutschland.
Abstract:
Air embolisms are a common entity seen in clinical practice after traumatic or iatrogenic events. Cases of a suicidally induced air embolism are rare. The connectivity of air-carrying and fluid-carrying tubing systems allow large gas volumes to be infused in a short period of time, usually with fatal outcome. In such cases, the use of computed tomography prior to autopsy is mandatory and provides a comprehensive visualization of introduced gas volumes. We present an unusual case of a suicidal gas embolism, in which a man in hospital connected a tube supplying oxygen to a venous catheter.
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