A Case of Pulmonary Embolism After Cesarean Delivery.

Kim, Gill Joong; Park, Chul Hoon; Rho, Duk Young; Kim, Yong Wook; Park, Byung Joon; Shin, Hwa Jung; Kim, Tae Ung; Joung, Jae Gun

Case Report

Korean Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology 2003;46(3):663-666.
Published online March 1, 2003.

A Case of Pulmonary Embolism After Cesarean Delivery.

Gill Joong Kim, Chul Hoon Park, Duk Young Rho, Yong Wook Kim, Byung Joon Park, Hwa Jung Shin, Tae Ung Kim, Jae Gun Joung

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

During the past 50 years, the maternal mortality ratio has decreased dramatically. The leading causes of maternal deaths were pulmonary embolism, the complications of the pregnancy-induced hypertension, hemorrhage, the complications of the ectopic pregnancy and infection. Pulmonary embolism is one of the most fatal maternal complications that abruptly happen and rapidly progress, and has been a major cause of maternal death recently. Early detection of pulmonary embolism is difficult, because there is not any specific clinical symptoms and signs. We have experienced a case of a fatal pulmonary embolism which was diagnosed by lung perfusion scan on postoperative 1 day after cesarean delivery and managed with heparin therapy. We report this case with a brief review of literatures.

Key Words: Pulmonary embolism, Venography, Lung perfusion scan, Heparin