Air embolism in the right coronary artery occurring during the left coronary angioplasty using the guiding catheter with a side hole

Abstract

Coronary air embolism is one of the inadvertent complications of coronary angioplasty. We report two rare cases of complicating air embolism in the right coronary artery occurring during control left coronary angiography using a guiding catheter with a side hole, just prior to a coronary intervention procedure for a left coronary artery lesion. The air seemed to be injected into the right coronary artery through the side hole. When we use an angiographic or guiding catheter with a side hole, we should be aware that an air embolism can occur in the contralateral coronary artery and should carefully and repeatedly perform aspiration of the catheter. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 49:331-334, 2000.

A Case of Coronary Air Embolism of the Left Coronary Arteries that Manifested as Cardiogenic Shock

“…The use of various mechanical interventions have also been reported. [1][2][3] We describe here a rare case of massive air embolism to the left coronary arteries during elective percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI), and this caused cardiogenic shock.…”