Air emboli with Haemaccel(R)

We report two cases of venous air embolism which occurred in association with infusion of Haemaccel(R) using a pressure bag. As a result of these incidents, we performed a study that showed that up to 45 ml of air can be infused into a patient from a pressurised Haemaccel(R) plastic bottle using a standard administration set. We also demonstrated that the volume of air infused was influenced by the type and size of the pressure bag and the warming of the Haemaccel(R) plastic container.