Prevention of air embolism related to central venous catheter removal: an integrative review.

Abstract

The removal of a central venous catheter can cause serious complications, such as air embolism, but there is limited evidence on effective prevention methods. This integrative review followed PRISMA guidelines and analyzed studies in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, without time restrictions, in the LILACS, Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, and EMBASE databases. Two studies were selected. One compared two removal methods and found that the modified technique reduced the occurrence of air embolism compared to the traditional method. The other study indicated that removal with suture over the catheter was also effective in prevention. Despite these promising findings, experimental research is needed to determine best practices. Additionally, factors such as patient positioning and maneuvers like the Valsalva maneuver should be further studied to optimize air embolism prevention.