[Central venous air embolism in an artificially respirated premature infant with respiratory distress syndrome].

We report a 935 g 27 weeks gestational age male infant born to a 30 year old mother on chronic intermittent hemodialysis for three years prior to the pregnancy. Immediately after birth the infant presented with severe respiratory distress requiring mechanical ventilation. Chest x-ray showed severe hyaline membrane disease with interstitial emphysema. The infant developed a left tension pneumothorax and systemic air embolism of the right heart, the inferior and superior vena cava and the hepatic vein, from which it subsequently died about 12 h later.