I’ve always been taught that it takes more than 10 CC’s to make an air embolism (IV), although looking it up it looks like that actual lethal amount is 3-5 cc/kg. That’s a 10 cc syringe, with a blunt tip on it. Hopefully no one is actually getting that injected, but if they were it wouldn’t be IV.
Edit: just looked at the article. It was the Lidocaine 100%. Lidocaine is an antiarrhythmic, at higher doses than local anesthetic.
I wasn’t actually aware of Lidocaine being used as an antiarrythmic until I looked it up, but yeah I can see how an IV infusion would fuck you up quick fast and in a hurry.
As for the air, I was always told the lungs can process about a TOTAL of a shot glasses worth in multiple smaller bubbles moving throughout the body before it causes issues (primarily from a diving context where air embolism is but one concern). Interesting to hear that the actual lethal dose is still considerably more than that, guess that visual guide for people is more the point at which it causes pathological symptoms rather than significant risk of death
I wonder if the fake doctor’s syringe had as much air in it as the one in the stock photo.
It would provide at least one explanation for the cardiac arrest if it did
I’ve always been taught that it takes more than 10 CC’s to make an air embolism (IV), although looking it up it looks like that actual lethal amount is 3-5 cc/kg. That’s a 10 cc syringe, with a blunt tip on it. Hopefully no one is actually getting that injected, but if they were it wouldn’t be IV.
Edit: just looked at the article. It was the Lidocaine 100%. Lidocaine is an antiarrhythmic, at higher doses than local anesthetic.
I wasn’t actually aware of Lidocaine being used as an antiarrythmic until I looked it up, but yeah I can see how an IV infusion would fuck you up quick fast and in a hurry.
As for the air, I was always told the lungs can process about a TOTAL of a shot glasses worth in multiple smaller bubbles moving throughout the body before it causes issues (primarily from a diving context where air embolism is but one concern). Interesting to hear that the actual lethal dose is still considerably more than that, guess that visual guide for people is more the point at which it causes pathological symptoms rather than significant risk of death
Absolutely. 15-20 mls into an IV can mess you up. If it’s a central line (like a jugular) it can be even less.
The bends are a different beast. I’d love to try diving someday!