What can be a potential outcome of venous air emboli during surgery?

Venous air emboli occur when air enters the venous system, often during surgical procedures. This air can travel to the heart and lungs, potentially leading to serious complications. One of the most severe outcomes of a significant venous air embolism is cardiac arrest, which can happen when air obstructs blood flow to the heart, disrupting its normal function and rhythm.

Air emboli can cause various cardiac disturbances, including right heart failure, decreased cardiac output, and arrhythmias, which can escalate to a complete cardiac arrest. This significant risk underscores the importance of recognizing and managing venous air embolism immediately to prevent such catastrophic outcomes during or after surgery.

The other options, while potentially related to surgical procedures, do not directly relate to the acute and life-threatening consequence associated with venous air emboli. Enhanced recovery and increased blood pressure are not typical results of air emboli, and while prolonged anesthesia can have implications, it is not as direct a consequence of air entering the venous system as cardiac arrest.