Obstetric emergencies
Clinical teaching and practical ideas for your next study session.
Medical Education
AFE vs Massive PE: Why Early Coagulopathy Matters
In peripartum collapse, amniotic fluid embolism and massive pulmonary embolism can both cause hypoxemia, shock, and right-heart strain. Early overt DIC before blood loss is sufficient to explain it favors AFE—but is not diagnostic by itself.