AMNIOTIC-FLUID EMBOLUS

A case report of a 27-yr-old healthy patient for Caesarean section und er epidural anaesthesia is presented. The patient suffered an acute ca rdiorespiratory collapse when the infant's head was being delivered th rough the anterior abdominal wall. The patient remained cyanosed after proper tracheal intubation and pulmonary ventilation with 100% O2, Hy potension was difficult to treat but returned to normal 25 min after t he event. A pulmonary artery catheter inserted three hours after the e vent showed normal pressures and a high cardiac output. The patient su ffered permanent neurological damage The differential diagnosis is dis cussed and current concepts of the aetiology and management of amnioti c fluid embolism reviewed.