Amniotic fluid embolism, afibrinogenemia, and disseminated fibrin thrombosis; case report and review of the literature

Amniotic fluid embolism: fatal case confirmed at autopsy five weeks after delivery

A 28-year-old woman died 36 days after an episode of shock followed by disseminated intravascular coagulation clinically thought to be due to amniotic fluid embolism (AFE). At necropsy squames could be still be identified in an infarcted area of lung and the clinical diagnosis proved.

Amniotic fluid embolism

The statement that amniotic fluid embolism is the most dangerous and untreatable condition in obstetrics appears to be true. It must be suspected in any patient who collapses or bleeds excessively during labour or the immediate post-partum period. Attempts should be made to secure a definitive diagnosis in life by examination of blood obtained from the right side of the heart and the sputum for elements of amniotic fluid. Lung scanning is a useful aid to diagnosis. The principal factors that have been implicated in the clinical syndrome of amniotic fluid embolism are anaphylaxis, vascular obstruction by particulate matter, vascular spasm due to prostaglandins and possibly some other vasoactive substances, and the possibility that all the changes could be explained by disseminated intravascular coagulation as a primary event. Further work is required to elucidate the relative contributions of these various factors. Due to the suddeness of the catastrophe and the very high mortality, haemodynamic data in humans is virtually non-existent. With improved methods of resuscitation it is to be hoped that the mortality rate will be reduced and that such data will become available. In this way it might become possible to apply the results of animal research and indicate the most effective method of treatment.

Eisenmenger's syndrome in pregnancy: does heparin prophylaxis improve the maternal mortality rate?

Seven consecutive patients with Eisenmenber's syndrome, cared for by the obstetric team in conjunction with the cardiology service, were reviewed to assess the possible role of prophylactic heparin therapy and intensive care on the outcome of these patients. In each patient, the diagnosis of Eisenmenger's syndrome was established by the demonstration of equal pulmonary arterial and aortic pressures with a predominantly right-to-left shunt at cardiac catheterization. Five of the seven patients died as follows: Three patients died between the fifth and eighth post-partum days, one patient died during the twenty-sixth week of pregnancy, and one patient died on the fifth postoperative day following tubal ligation. All of these five patients received prophylactic heparin therapy. In three patients, heparin therapy was complicated by excessive bleeding during the postoperative or postpartum period. Autopsy examination in two patients revealed no evidence of thrombosis in the main pulmonary arteries and no pulmonary infarction, contrary to the antemortem clinical suspicion. The two survivors did not receive prophylactic heparin. They comprised one patient who had normal delivery and one patient who underwent tubal ligation and induction of abortion. We conclude that the prohibitive mortality rate of Eisenmenger's syndrome during pregnancy, puerpurium, or surgical procedures probably cannot be modified with prophylactic heparin therapy. Anticoagulant treatment does not prevent deterioration of patients and probably compounds the problem by causing significant bleeding.

Amniotic fluid embolism: a review of the literature with two case reports

Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a rare but dramatic obstetric complication. In this study, the pathogenesis of AFE and the disorders of coagulation and fibrinolysis and postmortem gross pathologic and histologic findings resulting from it are reviewed. The 2 case histories examined in this report exemplify different clinical courses of amniotic fluid embolism. In the first case, there was a predominant activation of the coagulation system, with a fatal outcome. In the second case, generalized fibrinolysis dominated, and the woman survived. Finally, the authors wish to emphasize that the administration of fibrinogen is an incorrect approach to the management of this syndrome. A combination of Macrodex and heparin might be effective in preventing the formation of microthrombi, but increased fibrinolysis has to be treated by a sufficiently high dose of fibrinolytic inhibitors.

Postpartum death with maternal congenital heart disease

Four women, with congenital heart disease, who died following parturition are presented. All had advanced pulmonary arterial lesions before delivery. In the intrapartum or early postpartum period widespread fibrin and platelet thrombi occluded already narrowed pulmonary arterial channels increasing right-to-left cardiac shunts. The etiology of the preterminal thrombotic disorder has not been established in any of the cases.