Certified Hyperbaric Technologist Practice Test 2026 – Comprehensive Exam Prep

The presence of gas bubbles in the bloodstream is known as an embolism, specifically a gas embolism. This condition occurs when gas bubbles enter the vascular system and can lead to serious complications, including occlusion of blood vessels, which may impede blood flow and result in tissue damage. Gas embolism commonly occurs during certain medical procedures, diving accidents, or rapid ascent from underwater, where nitrogen can come out of solution and form bubbles in the bloodstream.

Understanding this term is crucial for hyperbaric technologists because they frequently deal with conditions related to gas exchange and bubbles in the body, particularly when treating decompression sickness or air embolisms, since hyperbaric oxygen therapy is often used to help resolve these issues. Other terms listed, such as pneumothorax, barotrauma, and infarction, refer to different medical phenomena and do not specifically describe the presence of gas bubbles in the bloodstream, making embolism the accurate choice.