gas embolism
- noun
- /ɡæs ˌɛmbəˈlɪzəm/
- Specialized
:
embolia gaseosa
- The scuba diver experienced a gas embolism after ascending too quickly, which blocked blood flow to his brain.
Examples
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The doctor explained that a gas embolism can occur during deep-sea diving when nitrogen bubbles form in the bloodstream.
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Unfortunately, she was injured diving, suffering an arterial gas embolism (no fault of hers), and was in a coma, then awakening to find that she could not use her arms or legs... but she still had her sense of humor, saying to me when I first saw her...
Blog text (12) -
After a near-drowning incident, the patient was diagnosed with a gas embolism that required immediate medical attention.
Synonyms
1
6.0
Bubbles of air in the blood that block blood flow and can cause serious harm
Air or gas bubbles in the blood that block blood flow
How Serious
Surface Forms
Morphology
Given knowledge of 'embolism' (an occlusion or blockage of a blood vessel) and 'gas' (a gaseous substance), the phrase denotes an embolism caused by gas/air entering the bloodstream; the meaning is directly compositional. This naming pattern (modifier + medical condition) is regular and cross-linguistically common, so a learner who knows both words can infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Gas embolism paints a simple picture: tiny gas bubbles travel in the blood and get stuck, like stones blocking a pipe. That's why the word embolism means 'a thing that blocks' and the whole phrase means 'air or gas in the bloodstream that blocks blood vessels', which can be very dangerous.