What's going wrong with this postpartum woman?

• Published in: The American journal of emergency medicine Vol. 36; no. 4; pp. 737.e1 - 737.e4
• Main Authors: Sönmez, Bedriye Müge, İşcanlı, Murat Doğan, Durdu, Tamer, Kala, İrfan, Tarhan, Nurullah, Uysal, Pınar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.04.2018; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Acute heart failure; Adrenergic beta-1 Receptor Antagonists - therapeutic use; Adult; Anticoagulants - therapeutic use; Births; Cardiac arrhythmia; Cardiomyopathies - diagnostic imaging; Cardiomyopathies - drug therapy; Cardiomyopathies - physiopathology; Cardiomyopathy; Cardiovascular Agents - therapeutic use; Chest Pain - etiology; Differential diagnosis; Drug Therapy, Combination; Dyspnea; Dyspnea - etiology; Echocardiography; Edema; Electrocardiography; Emergency department; Emergency medical care; Emergency Service, Hospital; Female; Fetuses; Heart; Heart failure; Hemodynamics; Humans; Hypertension; Metoprolol - therapeutic use; Pain; Patients; Pneumonia; Postpartum; Postpartum dyspnea; Pregnancy; Puerperal Disorders - diagnostic imaging; Puerperal Disorders - drug therapy; Puerperal Disorders - physiopathology; Radiography; Respiration; Ventricle; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left - diagnosis; Womens health; United States > US; Postpartum dyspnea; Emergency department; Acute heart failure
• ISSN: 0735-6757; 1532-8171
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2018.01.058

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a left ventricular systolic dysfunction failure emerges during the antepartum or puerperal period, and can result in maternal death. Reported incidences are increasing and differing globally. Echocardiography is the cornerstone for the diagnosis. The immediate goals in acute management are the stabilization of the hemodynamic state, providing symptomatic relief, and ensuring fetal wellbeing. Emergency physicians should be aware of PPCM at the differential diagnosis of dyspnea in pregnancy related emergencies and play role in early diagnosis.