Surgical treatment of an amniotic fluid embolism with cardiopulmonary collapse.

Amniotic fluid embolism is a rare but devastating condition associated with a very high rate of morbidity and mortality. The treatment has traditionally been aggressive supportive care. We report a case of a term pregnant woman with complete cardiovascular collapse secondary to a paradoxical amniotic fluid embolism.

Heparinase enhances collateral vessel development in the ischemic limb.

Several angiogenic factors are bound to heparin and stored in the extracellular matrix of diverse tissues; thus, the controlled release of these factors can provide a novel approach of angiogenic stimulation to ischemic tissues. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that heparinase, when administered in vivo, might enhance collateral vessel development in the ischemic limb by the controlled release of angiogenic factors such as basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Eleven male New Zealand White rabbits underwent ligation and excision of the common and superficial femoral arteries in the left hindlimb.