Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a rare and often fatal obstetric condition, characterized by
sudden cardiovascular collapse, altered mental status, and disseminated intravascular
coagulation (DIC). The presence of fetal debris in the pulmonary blood vessels of a mother
who had died suddenly in labor was first described by Meyer1
in 1926, but it was not until
1941 that death following sudden collapse during labor or in the immediate postpartum
period was attributed to AFE.2