Case 40-2012: A 43-Year-Old Woman with Cardiorespiratory Arrest after a Cesarean Section

A 43-year-old woman had bradycardia, hypotension, and apnea after cesarean section for placenta previa. Examination revealed pulseless electrical activity. Diagnostic procedures were performed, and management decisions were made. Presentation of Case Dr. Britta Panda (Obstetrics and Gynecology): A 43-year-old woman (a multigravida) was admitted to the labor and delivery service of this hospital at 36.4 weeks of gestation because of vaginal bleeding. The patient had had regular prenatal care at this hospital; routine prenatal screening tests were negative. She had had four previous uncomplicated pregnancies, with spontaneous vaginal deliveries, the most recent 14 years earlier. She had a history of obesity (prenatal body-mass index [the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters], 32.1) and migraine headaches; she had no known allergies. She did . . .