Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-f554764f5-nwwvg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-15T15:32:18.178Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Case 67 - A 40-Year-Old 1 Week after Vaginal Delivery Presents with Shortness of Breath and Orthopnea

from Section 7 - Postpartum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2025

Peter F. Schnatz
Affiliation:
The Reading Hospital, Pennsylvania
D. Yvette LaCoursiere
Affiliation:
University of California, San Diego
Christopher M. Morosky
Affiliation:
University of Connecticut School of Medicine
Jonathan Schaffir
Affiliation:
The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Vanessa Torbenson
Affiliation:
Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
David Chelmow
Affiliation:
Virginia Commonwealth School of Medicine
Get access

Summary

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare cause of heart failure in the last month of pregnancy or within 5 months postpartum. Symptoms of PPCM can often be mistaken for normal pregnancy symptoms, which may delay the diagnosis. After a thorough history and physical examination are performed, a transthoracic echocardiogram should be ordered in any patient in which PPCM is suspected. A multidisciplinary approach to care is essential and should include maternal-fetal medicine and cardiology input. Treatment and management are usually supportive and directed toward immediately managing the signs and symptoms of heart failure as well as improving blood flow to vital organs and reducing fluid overload.

Type
Chapter
Information
Pregnancy Complications
A Case-Based Approach
, pp. 205 - 207
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Book purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Bauersachs, J, König, T, Van der Meer, P, et al. Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Management of Peripartum Cardiomyopathy: A Position Statement from the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology Study Group on Peripartum Cardiomyopathy. Eur J Heart Fail. 2019;21:827843.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sliwa, K, Mebazaa, A, Hilfiker-Kleiner, D, et al. Clinical Characteristics of Patients from the Worldwide Registry on Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM): EURObservational Research Programme in Conjunction with the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology Study Group on PPCM. Eur J Heart Fail. 2017;19:11311141.Google Scholar
Arany, Z, Elkayam, U. Peripartum Cardiomyopathy. Circulation. 2016;133:13971409.Google ScholarPubMed
Davis, MB, Arany, Z, McNamara, DM, et al. Peripartum Cardiomyopathy: JACC State-of-the Art Review. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020;75:207221.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Regitz-Zagrosek, V, Roos-Hesselink, JW, Bauersachs, J, et al. 2018 ESC Guidelines for the Management of Cardiovascular Diseases during Pregnancy. Eur Heart J. 2018;39:31653241.Google ScholarPubMed
Elkayam, U. Clinical Characteristics of Peripartum Cardiomyopathy in the United States: Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Management. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2011;58:659670.Google Scholar
McNamara, DM, Elkayam, U, Alharethi, R, et al. Clinical Outcomes for Peripartum Cardiomyopathy in North America: Results of the IPAC Study (Investigations of Pregnancy-Associated Cardiomyopathy). J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015;66:905914.Google ScholarPubMed

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×