Hemodynamic alterations produced by intra-arterial gas emboli

¹ Department of Physiology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Hemodynamic alterations in the femoral arterial bed after experimental gas emboli are manifested as a primary phase of increased resistance followed by a more prolonged phase of decreased resistance. The purpose of this study was to determine the site of the resistance changes and to observe other physiological variations which occur in the femoral bed as a direct result of the emboli. Capillary blood flow in skeletal muscle was studied by Na²⁴ clearance and a-v O₂ difference methods. The responses to gases with different solubility coefficients were compared. Large-vessel responses were observed cinefluorographically. The influence of preinjection vascular tone was studied by infusion of norepinephrine and acetylcholine during the gas injection. Analysis of the data suggests that the emboli within the resistance vessels initiate a stimulus to the smooth muscle of these vessels which results in an initial phase of constriction and probably obstruction followed by decreased resistance which was interpreted as an ascending wave of relaxation.

Key Words: paraffin oil emboli • vascular tone • vascular stretch • gas solubility • blood pH • a-v O₂ difference • capillary blood flow • reactive hyperemia

Submitted on November 3, 1964

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Kurusz, B. D Butler, J. Katz, and V. R Conti Air embolism during cardiopulmonary bypass Perfusion, November 1, 1995; 10(6): 361 - 391. [PDF]