Effect of amniotic fluid on blood coagulation.

Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a catastrophic complication of pregnancy. The incidence of AFE is very rare, and the clinical presentation; central hemodynamic data in humans are typically obtained more than 1 hour after the event and from only the subset of women who have survived the initial insult. This makes the exact pathophysiology remain elusive, despite numerous attempts at understanding AFE syndrome. We tried to evaluate the effect of amniotic fluid on blood coagulation by making a simple in-vitro model, using an activated clotting time (ACT) monitor.