ABSTRACT
Amniotic Fluid Embolism (AFE) is a potentially fatal rare obstetric complication. In this paper, the death of a 30-year old apparently healthy parturient due to AFE is reported. She underwent Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS) under spinal anaesthesia but after about half an hour of the operative procedure, she developed features of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and shock, and died within five hours of the onset of the symptoms. The sudden death of an apparently healthy parturient may lead to medical negligence claims by the relatives. In developing countries, it still remains a post-mortem diagnosis and in the present case, histopathological examination findings helped in coming to a conclusive opinion of AFE.
Subject(s)
Adult , Autopsy , Cesarean Section/methods , Cesarean Section/mortality , Embolism, Amniotic Fluid/diagnosis , Embolism, Amniotic Fluid/mortality , Embolism, Amniotic Fluid/pathology , Fatal Outcome , Female , HumansABSTRACT
La embolización de líquido amniótico es una de las condiciones más infrecuentes pero desvastadora que puede presentarse en embarazadas. La prevalencia se ha reportado de 1 en 80.000, con un alto índice de mortalidad (86%). El diagnóstico esta basado en uno o más de los 4 signos clínicos: colapso cardiovascular, dificultad respiratoria, coma y/o convulsiones y coagulopatía. Coagulación intravascular diseminada puede ocasionar pérdida visual bilateral en el grupo de sobrevivientes, por oclusión del sistema arterial retiniano u coroideo. Los sintomas visuales se presentan usualmente después del desarrollo de síntomas sistémicos; sin embargo, en el caso clínico que se expone a continuación la manifestación visual ocurrió simultaneamente con el desarrollo de las sistémicas. Por tanto, la pérdida visual bilateral en el contexto de los signos clínicos sistémicos expuestos, debe alertar al obstetra sobre la posibilidad de embolización de liquido amniótico.
Amniotic fluid embolism is one of the most devastating and infrequent condition known in pregnant women. The prevalence has been reportd as a 1 in 80.000 deliveries with high mortality rate, almost 86%. The diagnosis is based on one or more of the four symptoms and signs: cardiovascular collapse, respiratory distress, coma/seizures and/or coagulopathy. Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy can cause bilateral visual loss in the group of survivors by occlusion of the retinal artery and/or the choroid system. The visual manifestations appear usually after the development of systemic symptoms, but in the clinical case described below the visual symptoms occurred simultaneously to the development of systemic manifestations. Therefore, bilateral visual loss in the context of the systemic clinical signs exposed, should alert the obstetrician about the possibility of embolization of amniotic fluid.