25 years old died just after child birth. On autopsy, hair, fat and epithelial cells were found in pulmonary vessel. Probable cause of death is:

Ans. A. Amniotic fluid embolismRef: James High Risk Pregnancy, Sr died p2317Explanation Amniotic fluid embolism# Occurs during labor, during cesarean section, or within a short time after delivery.# This condition may lead to maternal death as a result of severe pulmonary hypertension following embolization of the pulmonary vessels by fetal squames.# If the mother survives this acute event, there may be an anaphylactoid reaction to the presence of the fetal tissues in the maternal circulation associated with cardiovascular collapse, pulmonary edema, seizure activity, and the development of an intractable bleeding diathesis due to severe DIC.# The diagnosis is suggested by the detection of fetal squames within the maternal lungs at the time of postmortem.# The incidence of successfully treated cases is difficult to determine as the diagnosis is only suggestive and cannot be proved.# In most cases, the maternal death is unpredictable and unavoidable, and as obstetric care improves, amniotic fluid embolism has been responsible for an increasing proportion of maternal deaths.