Introduction -- Acute fetal hypoxia (including umbilical cord prolapse) -- Uterine rupture and major placental abruption -- Shoulder dystocia -- Eclampsia -- Retention of the aftercoming head -- Maternal cardio-respiratory arrest -- Amniotic fluid embolism -- Pulmonary thromboembolism -- Major obstetric haemorrhage -- Simulation-based training of obstetric emergencies.

This book provides a practical guide to the management of obstetric emergencies – acute complications during pregnancy and childbirth that pose a life-threatening risk to the mother and/or the fetus, and whose treatment requires an almost immediate response from the healthcare team in order to guarantee a favorable outcome. The book covers two essential areas: the “predominately fetal” emergencies - acute fetal hypoxia/acidosis, shoulder dystocia, and retention of the aftercoming head; and the “predominately maternal” emergencies - eclampsia, maternal cardiorespiratory arrest and post-partum hemorrhage. The book offers a valuable guide for healthcare professionals who deal with obstetric patients, as they may use it for reviewing these rare situations and for consultation when they encounter them. It is also a useful reference manual for simulation-based courses designed to develop and maintain clinical expertise in this area. Healthcare professionals will find that this book offers a comprehensive and pan-European perspective on the clinical management of these situations, as well as a pragmatic and reliable source of information for dealing with acute complications of pregnancy and childbirth.