Air in lines

From ShortGut - Wiki

Champagne bubbles in the line should not cause problems, and small bubbles are also apparently okay. Beyond that, people have heard varying estimates of just how much air it would take to cause a problem -- from 1" of tubing to an entire unprimed tubing set (~14cc). ** Austin had an entire length of air in the tubing enter him when we forgot to prime the tubing before starting TPN. He started to turn red and cough violently. The risk apparently is cardiac arrest. Thankfully he was okay, but I wouldn't agree with the above statement that up to 14 cc of air wouldn't cause a problem.**

If significant air may have entered the line (e.g., with Leaking lines), the person should be placed on his/her left side with head lower than feet, and checked for signs of any breathing issues or other changes. If that happens, keep the person in this position and call for an ambulance. Let them know the person has a central IV line with suspected air embolism.

Bringing TPN to room temperature may reduce air in line.