Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine (Aug 2020)

Rare Cause of Syncope in a Gravid Female

  • Andrew Bellino,
  • Katherine Staats,
  • Jessica Ngo

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5811/cpcem.2020.5.46948
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 4, no. 3

Abstract

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Case Presentation: A 33-year-old gravid female was brought to the emergency department after she collapsed in the street. Point-of-care ultrasound showed free fluid in the abdomen and confirmed an intrauterine pregnancy. Surgical teams were consulted, and cross-sectional imaging revealed a spontaneously ruptured splenic artery aneurysm (SAA). The patient was taken expeditiously to the operating room for splenic artery ligation and subsequent splenectomy. Discussion: Ruptured SAA in pregnant patients is associated with significant mortality for both mother and fetus. Maintaining a high index of suspicion in the correct population is crucial to avoid diagnostic errors and provide definitive care with operative repair.