You receive a page from labour ward.

A woman at 35/40 weeks gestation has just arrived in the hospital very distressed in a lot of pain. A quick bedside ultrasound by the obstetric team has unfortunately demonstrated a large abruption and fetal death in utero. She is contracting strongly and beside herself in pain, the team would like you to come down and place an epidural for analgesia. The team are hoping she will deliver vaginally in the next few hours.

What is your approach in this situation?

Join Graeme and I as we discuss this complex and challenging clinical condition and the coagulopathy that can occasionally occur.

Here is a link to cases we have had in the past here at KEMH in the ROTEM Real Cases Discussed section:

Case 6 - Abruption and fetal death in utero

Case 11 - Abruption and severe coagulopathy

References

Coagulopathy and placental abruption: changing management with ROTEM-guided fibrinogen concentrate therapy 2015 Liverpool Womens Hospital - this is not open access but available through the ANZCA library or your hospital library. It contains 4 very interesting case reports

Fibrinolytic and thrombotic DIC an explanation 2023 - This paper explains how there are two types of DIC one predominantly causing microvascular thrombosis and eventually factor depletion. The second which is possibly the mechanism seen in some abruptions is massive activation of fibrinolysis and fibrinogenolysis. WARNING this paper is highly technical!