Anest. intenziv. Med. 2025;36(2):91-96 | DOI: 10.36290/aim.2025.013

Anaphylactoid syndrome of pregnancy (amniotic fluid embolism)Case Report

Bundzáková K.

Oddelenie anestéziológie a multiodborovej intenzívnej starostlivosti, Vranovská nemocnica, a. s., Vranov nad Topľou

Anaphylactoid syndrome of pregnancy is a rare but fatal obstetric complication that results in sudden cardiovascular collapse, altered consciousness, respiratory failure, and disseminated intravascular coagulation [1]. This case report describes a 25-year-old woman in labor who, on preoperative ultrasound, had intrauterine fetal death with placental abruption and who experienced sudden cardiac arrest during an emergency cesarean section. Despite immediate resuscitation and intensive care, the patient died. Autopsy confirmed the presence of fetal elements in the pulmonary vasculature, definitively establishing the diagnosis of anaphylactoid pregnancy syndrome. This case illustrates the unpredictability of anaphylactoid pregnancy syndrome and the need for immediate, coordinated care, although the prognosis for survival remains poor [2]. Recent recommendations for the management of this syndrome emphasize the need for prompt diagnosis and therapy aimed at controlling coagulopathy and supporting circulation [3]. The term anaphylactoid syndrome of pregnancy was introduced to replace the term amniotic fluid embolism, as the clinical manifestations of this entity more closely resemble anaphylactic shock than an embolic event [1, 4, 5].

Keywords: anaphylactoid syndrome of pregnancy, amniotic fluid embolism, disseminated intravascular coagulation, emergency cesarean section, maternal mortality, case report.

Received: February 5, 2025; Revised: March 25, 2025; Accepted: April 7, 2025; Prepublished online: June 9, 2025; Published: June 27, 2025  Show citation