Emergent intrauterine resuscitation in a fetus with transient congenital anemia--case report.

A 24-week gestation complicated by fetal hydrops was prepared for intrauterine transfusion to treat possible fetal anemia. During the therapeutic transfusion procedure, blood samples could be not taken from the umbilical vein, and severe fetal bradycardia developed. Given the severity of the condition and the fetal position, transfusion was performed through the most accessible part of the fetal heart, which was the right atrium. Just after the transfusion procedure, fetal cardiac tamponade developed, and the fetal heart collapsed. Subsequently, urgent fetal pericardiac tamponade decompression was performed.