Ventricular fibrillation during termination of pregnancy

The combination of cardiovascular collapse, coagulopathy, and the echocardiographic findings indicated that an amnioticfluid embolism (AFE) was likely; a blood sample was immediately analysed by the pathologist, who observed amniotic and fetal cells after staining the sample with Wright's stain and Nile blue stain. AFE is a rare complication of pregnancy, occurring in one in 20000-50000 deliveries.12 However, it is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in developed countries; the proportion of patients surviving without neurological damage is only 15%.1 The presence of amniotic fluid in the maternal bloodstream causes severe vasoconstriction and pulmonary hypertension.