Final answer:
Treatment for massive air embolism during CPB includes administering 100% oxygen, placing the patient in Trendelenburg position, maintaining CPB, and giving intravenous fluids. Administering 100% oxygen is crucial because it accelerates the removal of air embolisms and is also effective in treating carbon monoxide poisoning by improving oxygen transport in the blood.
Step-by-step explanation:
Treatment for massive air embolism during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) involves a few critical steps. Administering 100% oxygen to the patient is vital as it can accelerate the resorption of the embolized air. Placing the patient in the Trendelenburg position or a left lateral decubitus position can help to trap air in the apex of the ventricle and prevent it from entering the pulmonary artery. Initiating or maintaining cardiopulmonary bypass can help to circulate blood and reduce air in the system. Lastly, the administration of intravenous fluids can maintain blood pressure and help to reduce the size of the air embolus.
The administration of 100 percent oxygen is particularly effective for conditions like carbon monoxide poisoning because it hastens the dissociation of carbon monoxide from carboxyhemoglobin, converting it back into hemoglobin. This process reduces the half-life of carbon monoxide in the blood and allows normal oxygen transport to resume. In contrast, giving carbon dioxide would not work for this purpose and would be harmful because carbon dioxide does not compete with carbon monoxide for binding sites on hemoglobin, and it does not improve the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.