Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a rare critical and severe obstetric crisis characterized by acute onset, rapid disease progression, and poor maternal prognosis. Although its etiology has been better defined, the pathogenesis is still not completely understood. There are no unified laboratory or clinical diagnostic criteria, and the risk factors of AFE are mostly unavoidable, with the proportion of AFE increasing year by year in most countries. Therefore, early diagnosis and timely and effective treatment of AFE play a decisive role in maternal prognosis and survival. This author mainly reviews the various clinical manifestations and the related treatment strategies of AFE.