Is it true that a small bubble in your bloodstream can kill you?

Question

Is it just an urban myth?
I hear it time and again, mostly from people commenting while I'm filling the needle with insulin for my dog (he's severely diabetic). I always try to get all the bubbles out,
But I can't help but get the sense that the danger is way overstated.

Answer 1

Well, it is true that injectine air into a vein will kill a person. However, the amount of air has to be quite significant. If it's just a little bubble, it's no big deal. It's still a good idea to make sure that you pump the air out of a syringe before filling it with insulin, but don't worry about it. Like I said, you'd have to pump a bunch of it into your dog to kill him.

Answer 2

A rare tiny bubble in the bloodstream probably won't do much harm, but bigger ones can become an air embolism, which is bad news for the cardiopulmonary system.

You mentioned giving insulin to your dog- insulin isn't given directly into the bloodstream-it's given in subcutaneous tissue (under the skin), so while it's good to get them out, tiny bubbles in an insulin syringe won't kill your dog.

Answer 3

A small bubble will not kill you. You do need to push out the air in the syringe so you can be sure to give accurate doses of medicine.. To actually die from a bolus of air requires approximately 100 to 150 cc. of air in a bolus in an adult, which basically can deprime the pump i.e. heart... Tiny air bubbles would be absorbed by the body..

Answer 4

the only time a bubble in an injection can kill you it is when it's done intravenously. otherwise it will not kill Anyone.