Hip Arthrography Complicated by Air Embolism in Infants: A Report of 2 Cases.

CASE: We report 2 cases of infants with developmental dysplasia of the hip who underwent arthrography of the hip with use of air for structure identification, which resulted in a presumed air embolism and deep oxygen desaturation. This led to the hypothesis that there is an increased potential of air embolism in the pediatric population given the vascular anatomy of the hip.

CONCLUSION: These 2 cases document the important and not well-known complication of air embolism during air arthrography, which resulted in a change of practice for the authors. We strongly recommend against the use of air as an adjunct to routine arthrography in children.