Clinical Review
Amniotic Fluid Embolism
Case in Point
Fed Pract. 2007 February;24(2):17
Author and Disclosure Information
Robert J. Miller, DO, Dorothy E. Dean, MD, Sarah Hamilton, MD, and Mark A. Gerhardt, MD, PhD
At the time of this writing, Dr. Miller was the director of obstetric anesthesia at the Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus and an associate professor in the department of surgery at Wright State University, Dayton, OH. He is now a staff anesthesiologist at William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center, Columbia, SC. Dr. Dean is a deputy director and forensic pathologist with the Franklin County coroner's office in Columbus, OH. Dr. Hamilton is a resident clinical instructor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology and Dr. Gerhardt is an assistant professor in the department of anesthesiology, both at the Ohio State University Medical Center.
Distinguishing this life threatening obstetric emergency from other possible causes of hypotension and cardiovascular collapse is crucial to maximizing patient survival. This case illustrates the key role of transesophageal echocardiography in rapid diagnosis.