POSTPARTUM MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION RESCUED WITH AN INTRAAORTIC BALLOON PUMP AND EXTRACORPOREAL MEMBRANE-OXYGENATOR

A 37-year-old woman had postpartum myocardial infarction complicated w ith cardiogenic shock. The infarction was attributed to diffuse corona ry artery spasm caused by methylergonovine, which had been used to tre at the postpartum haemorrhage due to placenta increta. The haemodynami cs could not be maintained with catecholamine infusion and intraaortic balloon counterpulsation. At last, an extracorporeal membrane oxygena tor was used to save her life, and the patient was successfully weaned from the machine 100 h later; she made an uneventful recovery thereaf ter. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.