Air embolism in hip surgery.

The hearts of 49 patients undergoing hip-replacement surgery were auscultated and the characteristic sounds of air emboli were heard in 15 of them--30% of the total. This finding was confirmed in the later patients by the use of an ultrasonic transducer to detect air emboli. Routine auscultation of the heart during the insertion of acrylic bone cement and prosthesis is recommended.