Thursday May 04, 2006
Pulmonary Artery Catheter in Amniotic fluid embolism !!
20 years ago it was suggested by Mason that probable diagnosis of Amniotic fluid embolism can be made by analyzing pulmonary artery blood with the logic that amniotic fluid does not ordinarily enter the maternal circulation, and the identification of large numbers of fetal squamous in the postpartum pulmonary microvasculature is of clinical significance. (He applied similar argument for other similar diseases such as fat embolism). Diagnosis becomes more probable if other fetal debris such as mucin or hair is present.
Technique described: Obtain blood from the distal lumen of a pulmonary artery catheter (in wedged position). After discarding the first 10 ml of blood, draw an additional 10 ml, heparinize and analyze utilizing Papanicolaou's method.
Above technique is only suggestive of amniotic fluid embolism and not a gold standard.
References: Click to get abstract/article
1. Pulmonary microvascular cytology. A new diagnostic application of the pulmonary artery catheter - Chest, V. 88, 908-14
2. Amniotic fluid embolism - Masson RG - Clin Chest Med.1992 Dec;13(4):657-65.
