Clinically significant carbon dioxide embolism is a rare but potentially fatal complication of anesthesia administered during laparoscopic surgery. Its most common cause is inadvertent injection of carbon dioxide into a large vein, artery or solid organ. This error usually occurs during or shortly after insufflation of carbon dioxide into the body cavity, but may result from direct intravascular insufflation of carbon dioxide during surgery. Clinical presentation of carbon dioxide embolism ranges from asymptomatic to neurologic injury, cardiovascular collapse or even death, which is dependent on the rate and volume of carbon dioxide entrapment and the patient's condition. We reviewed extensive literature regarding carbon dioxide embolism in detail and set out to describe the complication from background to treatment. We hope that the present work will improve our understanding of carbon dioxide embolism during laparoscopic surgery.
Carbon Dioxide/*adverse effects ; Embolism, Air/*diagnosis/epidemiology/prevention & control/surgery ; Humans ; Insufflation/adverse effects ; Laparoscopy/*adverse effects

Venous air embolism (VAE) is the entrapment of air or medical gases into the venous system causing symptoms and signs of pulmonary vessel obstruction. The incidence of VAE during cesarean delivery ranges from 10 to 97% depending on surgical position or diagnostic tools, with a potential for life-threatening events. We reviewed extensive literatures regarding VAE in detail and herein described VAE during surgery including cesarean delivery from background and history to treatment and prevention. It is intended that present work will improve the understanding of VAE during surgery.
Anesthesia, Obstetrical/adverse effects ; Cesarean Section/*adverse effects ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal/methods ; Embolism, Air/*diagnosis/prevention & control/*ultrasonography ; Female ; Humans ; Intraoperative Complications/ultrasonography ; Monitoring, Intraoperative/methods ; Obstetrics/methods ; Pregnancy ; Risk Factors ; Ultrasonography, Doppler/methods