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Supine Hypotensive Syndrome as the Probable Cause of Both Maternal and Fetal Death
Author(s) -
DeGiorgio Fabio,
Grassi Vincenzo M.,
Vetrugno Giuseppe,
d’Aloja Ernesto,
Pascali Vincenzo L.,
Arena Vincenzo
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2012.02165.x
Subject(s) - medicine , supine position , autopsy , inferior vena cava , fetus , cause of death , shock (circulatory) , maternal death , uterus , pregnancy , cardiology , anesthesia , surgery , population , disease , environmental health , biology , genetics
Supine hypotensive syndrome is characterized by severe supine hypotension in late pregnancy, whose clinical presentation ranges from minimal cardiovascular alterations to severe shock, resulting from inferior vena cava compression by gravid uterus. We report a case of a 41‐year‐old 39‐week‐pregnant woman found dead supine. Autopsy revealed the following: cyanosis of the limbs; congestion of the jugular and subclavian veins; abundant abdominal subcutaneous fatty tissue; uterus displacing intestine and diaphragm; collapsed inferior vena cava; both femoral veins dilated and filled with blood; edematous and congested lungs; and placenta 790 g, fetus 3475 g, amniotic fluid 800 cm 3 . The diagnosis of supine hypotensive syndrome as the probable cause of death is supported by the position of the body and autopsy findings. This syndrome can be considered as the first stage of the physio‐pathological mechanism that led to death in the case presented herein and should be considered by pathologists as a cause of sudden death.