morphine and Disseminated-Intravascular-Coagulation

The amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) syndrome is a catastrophic complication of pregnancy frequently associated with maternal death. The causes and mechanisms of disease responsible for this syndrome remain elusive.. We report two cases of maternal deaths attributed to AFE: (1) one woman presented with spontaneous labor at term, developed intrapartum fever, and after delivery had sudden cardiovascular collapse and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), leading to death; (2) another woman presented with preterm labor and foul-smelling amniotic fluid, underwent a Cesarean section for fetal distress, and also had postpartum cardiovascular collapse and DIC, leading to death.. Of major importance is that in both cases, the maternal plasma concentration of tumor necrosis factor-alpha at the time of admission to the hospital and when patients had no clinical evidence of infection was in the lethal range (a lethal range is considered to be above 0.1 ng/mL).. We propose that subclinical intraamniotic infection may be a cause of postpartum cardiovascular collapse and DIC and resemble AFE. Thus, some patients with the clinical diagnosis of AFE may have infection/systemic inflammation as a mechanism of disease. These observations have implications for the understanding of the mechanisms of disease of patients who develop cardiovascular collapse and DIC, frequently attributed to AFE. It may be possible to identify a subset of patients who have biochemical and immunological evidence of systemic inflammation at the time of admission, and before a catastrophic event occurs.

Topics: Adult; Chorioamnionitis; Diagnosis, Differential; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation; Embolism, Amniotic Fluid; Fatal Outcome; Female; Humans; Meconium; Postpartum Period; Pregnancy; Sepsis; Shock; Shock, Septic; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

A case of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome with intrauterine death of one twin and meconium peritonitis and intravascular disseminated coagulation in the other twin is reported. Meconium peritonitis follows to bowel perforation, caused by segmental severe hypoplasia of muscular layer. The Authors suggest that this structural alteration of bowel wall could be an expression of inequal distribution of some cells between the two twins, during embrional development.

Topics: Adult; Colon; Colonic Diseases; Diseases in Twins; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation; Fatal Outcome; Female; Fetal Death; Fetal Diseases; Fetofetal Transfusion; Hemoperitoneum; Humans; Ileal Diseases; Ileum; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Infant, Newborn; Intestinal Perforation; Meconium; Muscle, Smooth; Peritonitis; Polyhydramnios; Postoperative Complications; Pregnancy; Twins, Monozygotic