Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Venous Air Embolism in a Horse After Jugular Venous Catheterization: Echocardiographic Diagnosis.
- Journal:
- Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association
- Year:
- 2026
- Authors:
- Ramos, Gabriel Vieira et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Clinics and Surgery (DCCV) · Brazil
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A Quarter Horse mare was brought in after being exposed to imidocarb, a type of medication that can be toxic. During her examination, she experienced a fainting episode and had a significant heart murmur. To investigate further, the veterinarians used an ultrasound of her heart, which revealed air bubbles in the right side of her heart. This was determined to be a case of venous air embolism, which can happen when air enters the bloodstream during a procedure like placing a catheter in the jugular vein. This is the first time this specific issue has been diagnosed in a horse using this method.
Abstract
A Quarter Horse mare was presented with a history of imidocarb intoxication. During the initial evaluation, the patient presented an initial episode of syncope, in addition to a Grade III/IV diastolic murmur. On the basis of the observed condition, the animal underwent echocardiographic evaluation, in which artifacts were detected and subsequently characterized as air bubbles, restricted to the right cardiac chambers. A diagnosis of venous air embolism resulting from right jugular venocatheterization was made. This is the first reported case of venous air embolism secondary to jugular venocatheterization diagnosed by means of transthoracic echocardiography in a horse.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41399167/