Anaphylaxis-induced hyperfibrinolysis in pregnancy

H T Truong1, R M Browning1

  • 1Department of Anaesthesia, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Subiaco, WA, Australia.

Anaphylaxis during pregnancy is rare but life threatening to both mother and fetus. The anaesthetist may be unexpectedly faced with an obstructing airway, severe bronchospasm and cardiac arrest requiring perimortem caesarean delivery to relieve aortocaval compression. We present a case of anaphylaxis-induced hyperfibrinolysis, an infrequently discussed complication that could exacerbate postpartum haemorrhage and hamper resuscitative efforts.

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