Carbon dioxide embolism is a condition where this gas enters the blood stream at an above normal level. It most typically happens when carbon dioxide is placed into the abdominal cavity (insufflation) during laparoscopic surgery.
It most classically presents as hypotension (decreased blood pressure) and a sudden drop in end-tidal CO2 (a measurement of the amount of CO2 that leaves the lungs at the end of each breath.)
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