Peri/Post-Mortem Cesarean Section

Perimortem (sometimes called postmortem) cesarean section is a radical procedure indicated to deliver a fetus at the death or near-death of the mother. This is a procedure in the wheelhouse of an emergency physician when treating a patient who has had witnessed loss of pulses and has undergone cardiopulmonary resuscitation without success. It is a simple but drastic bedside procedure intended to increase the chances of successfully reviving the mother with a fetus which has matured at least more than 20 weeks. There are generally accepted indications and contraindications for a perimortem cesarean section. An emergency physician must be familiar with these parameters before considering performing the procedure.