AIr Embolism in Pneumoperitoneum

Air embolism is a dramatic and often catastrophic complication of pneumoperitoneum. It follows the entrance of large quantities of air into the pulmonary venous system through a systemic vein. Fortunately, its incidence is rare, but it occurs more frequently than the occasional report in the literature would seem to indicate.1The growing popularity of pneumoperitoneum in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis and its ease of administration seem certain to increase the frequency with which an embolism is met by the general practitioner as well as the phthisiologist. The purpose of this report is to add three more cases of air embolism to the literature and stress the clinical application of the observations of Durant2and his coworkers, who have provided a simple effective method for coping with this emergency. REPORT OF CASES Case 1.— C. A. P., a white man aged 24, was discovered to have pulmonary tuberculosis