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Just Another Labor Epidural, Whitney King Do, William B. Smith

Anesthesiology

A 32 year-old healthy pregnant patient with no significant past medical history who presented to the hospital for delivery of fetus status post intrauterine fetal death. Vaginal delivery with epidural placement was initially the mother’s preference. Fetal movement last felt 4 days prior. The patients H&P and laboratory findings revealed early stages DIC. Patient underwent Caesarean delivery with general anesthesia, the OB physician found the patient to have Couvelaire uterus, a form of placental abruption. The patient’s uterus was atonic requiring multiple units of blood products. Case assessed indications for epidural placement versus general anesthesia.