[Myocardial damage in coronary air embolism (author's transl)]

Haemodynamic changes after intracoronary air embolism (0,02 ml/kg air in the left coronary artery) were studied in 16 dogs. The air was introduced in 8 animals during cardiopulmonary bypass and in 8 animals without bypass. In both groups the air embolization caused acute ischemia with myocardial necrosis. Immediately after the injection the anterior wall became akinetic; 24 hours after injection CPK increased to more than 800 U. One half of the animals without cardiopulmonary bypass died during acute ischemia due to refractory arrhythmias; there was no mortality in the group with cardiopulmonary bypass. The left ventricular damage due to air embolization cannot be significantly reduced with cardiopulmonary bypass; the bypass only helps to "tide over" the animal during the period of acute ischemia.