eli5 Why are air embolisms so deadly? Like, what about an air bubble can’t your body fix pretty easily?

Question

I would have thought that an air bubble gets popped and we move on. That the gas eventually dissolves and gets passed somehow.

So, what’s going on? Why does the heart stop so violently? It acts like there was an implosion on the inside…

In: 1487

Answer 1

Fun fact! You can tolerate pretty large air emboli. The exact upper limit is unknown, but survivable emboli have been reported between 200-300cc (3-5cc/kg). Another fun fact, you shouldn’t do this.