ECMO Survivor Story - Catherine Garrett, Amniotic Fluid Embolism Survivor

ECMO Survivor Story Host: Nicole Reagan Guest: Catherine Garrett - AFE and ECMO Survivor Catherine Garrett is a wife and a mother whose life was at stake when she suffered an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) during the birth of her child. The medical team at the hospital where she was delivering her baby recognized the signs and symptoms of AFE, intervened quickly placed Catherine on Extracorporeal Life Support - ECLS, or ECMO as it is commonly referred. ECMO provided life saving support to Catherine, fully supporting her organs by bypassing her heart and lungs, delivering oxygen rich blood to her body and allowing her heart to rest. Amniotic fluid embolism is a rare obstetric emergency that can be accompanied by profound hypoxemia, coagulopathy, hemorrhage, and cardiogenic shock. It occurs as an allergic like reaction to the amniotic fluid when it enters the mother's bloodstream. Approximately 1 in 40,000 pregnancies in the United States and 1 in 53,000 pregnancies in the United Kingdom are impacted by AFE. Between 20-60% of mothers survive, and 60-70% of babies survive. It is the leading cause of maternal death globally. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation may provide a rescue strategy in amniotic fluid embolism with cardiopulmonary collapse. Catherine is the creator and founder of Birth Trauma Stories, a space of connection for those who have experienced perinatal trauma. She hosts a podcast and uses her experience and voice to help bring understanding and healing to others. Visit her website at www.BirthTraumaStories.com Connect with the global ECMO community to discover connection opportunities, resources and tools for ECMO clinicians. www.ECMOResource.com #ecmo #ecls #ecpr #ecmospecialist #amnioticfluid #birthtrauma #ecmoresource #obstetrics #laboranddeliverystory