Suner S, Jagminas L, Peipert J F, Linakis J
Department of Emergency Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence 02903, USA.
J Emerg Med. 1996 Mar-Apr;14(2):181-5. doi: 10.1016/0736-4679(95)02091-8.
Spontaneous uterine rupture is a life-threatening obstetrical emergency encountered infrequently in the emergency department. The diagnosis of spontaneous uterine rupture is often missed or delayed, leading to maternal and fetal mortality. Emergency physicians must consider this diagnosis when presented with a pregnant patient in shock with abdominal pain. We present the case of a 38-year-old gravid female who presented to the emergency department in cardiac arrest 24 hours after an initial complaint of abdominal pain. We review the uterine rupture literature with specific focus on risk factors, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome.
