RT Book, Section
A1 Dildy, Gary A.
A1 Stafford, Irene P.
A2 Foley, Michael R.
A2 Strong, Jr., Thomas H.
A2 Garite, Thomas J.
SR Print(0)
ID 1115790935
T1 Amniotic Fluid Embolism
T2 Obstetric Intensive Care Manual, 4e
YR 2015
FD 2015
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9780071820134
LK obgyn.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1115790935
RD 2024/04/19
AB Amniotic  fluid  embolism  (AFE)  is  a  catastrophic  syndrome  typically  occurring  during  labor  and  delivery  or  immediately  postpartum.  Although  presenting  symptoms  may  vary,  common  clinical  features  include  shortness  of  breath,  altered  mental  status,  followed  by  sudden  cardiovascular  collapse,  disseminated  intravascular  coagulation  (DIC),  and  maternal  death.  The  first  case  report  of  AFE  was  published  in  a  1926  Brazilian  medical  journal1  and  AFE  was  recognized  as  a  syndrome  in  1941,  when  2  investigators  described  fetal  mucin  and  squamous  cells  during  postmortem  examination  of  the  pulmonary  vasculature  in  women  who  had  unexplained  obstetric  deaths.2  Since  then,  over  1000  studies,  case  reports,  and  series  have  been  published  in  an  attempt  to  elucidate  the  etiology,  risk  factors,  and  pathogenesis  of  this  mysterious  obstetric  complication.