2006-10-12 11:05:34 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Medicine
It depends on the amount of air. Small amounts of air will be absorbed by the lungs.
A larger amount is called an air embolus, and can kill you. Air that accumulates in the heart can be removed by placing a catheter into the big veins in the neck and into the heart (we sometimes have to do that if air gets into the venous system during neurosurgery). If the air goes through the right side of the heart into the lungs, it will cause pulmonary problems.
The real danger is that the air can travel to the left side of the heart if the person has a connection between the right and left sides of the heart (patent foramen ovale). This allows the air to get into the coronary arteries or the brain, causing a heart attack or stroke. THOSE can be deadly.
However, despite often being employed by writers of fiction as a method of murder, this will not suddenly stop the heart, nor cause instant death. Murder by air injection is an urban legend.
2006-10-12 11:45:30 · answer #1 · answered by Pangolin 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No effect at all unless a lot of air was injected. I always get amused when a person makes a big deal out of flicking a syringe to get the air bubbles out. It is so silly. That much air can not hurt you.
2006-10-12 15:57:04 · answer #2 · answered by Bibi B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pangolin is correct. I will just add that in addition to a PFO, an ASD or VSD as well as other more complex congenital cardiac anomalies are such that even tiny amounts of air can be deadly. As others have said in the otherwise healthy adult it takes a lot of air to cause a problem. The volume though is age dependent. It doesn't take a lot of air to kill or injure a 1 kilo premature infant.
2006-10-12 23:38:04 · answer #3 · answered by lampoilman 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pangolin, is 100% correct. I've been a paramedic for 16 years. it would take a whole lot of air and even at that the effect would not be immediate; however, air does tend to screw up most med and IV pumps and makes me want to throw them out the window of the ambulance while traveling down the road at 70mph.
2006-10-13 12:04:59 · answer #4 · answered by easi822 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No effect. For an air embolus at least 100 ml are required.
2006-10-12 11:57:22 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The person being injected would die as soon as the air in the vain hit the heart.
2006-10-12 11:10:20 · answer #6 · answered by webwriter 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
When the air reaches the brain,,DEATH.
2006-10-12 11:14:22 · answer #7 · answered by CLAUDE D 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Air bubbles would form in their blood, causing them to die in a few minutes.
2006-10-12 11:10:25 · answer #8 · answered by spens 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
HEY..... WASN'T THAT WHAT THAT NANNY DID IN "THE OMEN" WHEN SHE KILLED THE LITTLE BOY'S MOM?
YEAH, THE PERSON WOULD DIE AS SOON AS THE AIR BUBBLE HIT THEIR HEART!! SAD BUT VERY TRUE!!
2006-10-12 11:29:59 · answer #9 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
worse case death but depents on the amount
2006-10-13 17:13:50 · answer #10 · answered by ck 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋