Camille Simard1, Stephen Yang2,3, Maral Koolian4, Roberta Shear5, Lawrence Rudski6,7, Jed Lipes8,9. 1. Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada. 2. Division of Critical Care, Department of Medicine, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, 3755 ch. de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine Rd, Suite H-364.1, Montreal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada. 3. Department of Anesthesia, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada. 4. Division of General Internal Medicine, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada. 5. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada. 6. Azrieli Heart Center, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada. 7. Department of Medicine, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada. 8. Division of Critical Care, Department of Medicine, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, 3755 ch. de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine Rd, Suite H-364.1, Montreal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada. jed.lipes@mcgill.ca. 9. Division of General Internal Medicine, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada. jed.lipes@mcgill.ca.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a rare, but often fatal condition characterized by sudden hemodynamic instability and coagulopathy occurring during labour or in the early postpartum period. As the mechanisms leading to shock and the cardiovascular effects of AFE are incompletely understood, the purpose of this case series is to describe how AFE presents on echocardiography and review limited reports in the literature. CLINICAL FEATURES: We describe three cases of AFE at the Jewish General Hospital, a tertiary care centre in Montreal, Canada. All cases met the Clark diagnostic criteria, which comprise 1) sudden cardiorespiratory arrest or both hypotension and respiratory compromise, 2) disseminated intravascular coagulation, 3) clinical onset during labour or within 30 min of delivery of the placenta, and 4) absence of fever. Two patients had a cardiac arrest and the third developed significant hypotension and hypoxia. In all patients, point-of-care echocardiography at the time of shock revealed signs of right ventricular failure including a D-shaped septum, acute pulmonary hypertension, and right ventricular systolic dysfunction. CONCLUSION: This case series and literature review of AFE emphasizes the importance of echocardiography in elucidating the etiology of maternal shock. The presence of right ventricular failure may be considered an important criterion to diagnose AFE.
PURPOSE: Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a rare, but often fatal condition characterized by sudden hemodynamic instability and coagulopathy occurring during labour or in the early postpartum period. As the mechanisms leading to shock and the cardiovascular effects of AFE are incompletely understood, the purpose of this case series is to describe how AFE presents on echocardiography and review limited reports in the literature. CLINICAL FEATURES: We describe three cases of AFE at the Jewish General Hospital, a tertiary care centre in Montreal, Canada. All cases met the Clark diagnostic criteria, which comprise 1) sudden cardiorespiratory arrest or both hypotension and respiratory compromise, 2) disseminated intravascular coagulation, 3) clinical onset during labour or within 30 min of delivery of the placenta, and 4) absence of fever. Two patients had a cardiac arrest and the third developed significant hypotension and hypoxia. In all patients, point-of-care echocardiography at the time of shock revealed signs of right ventricular failure including a D-shaped septum, acute pulmonary hypertension, and right ventricular systolic dysfunction. CONCLUSION: This case series and literature review of AFE emphasizes the importance of echocardiography in elucidating the etiology of maternal shock. The presence of right ventricular failure may be considered an important criterion to diagnose AFE.
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