Abstract
Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCMP) is a relatively rare form of dilated cardiomyopathy with unknown etiology. A generally accepted definition comprises the following criteria: 1) cardiac failure occurring in the last month of pregnancy or within 5 months after delivery; 2) absence of an alternative cause for the cardiomyopathy; 3) absence of heart disease before the last month of pregnancy and 4) demonstrated left ventricular dysfunction.
From an intensivists perspective, the diagnosis of PPCMP should always be considered when triaging a woman with peripartum respiratory or hemodynamic distress. Timely diagnosis is crucial to enable prompt initiation of the proper management in order to minimize the risk for serious maternal and neonatal sequelae. Goal-directed echocardiography should be utilized as early as possible, preferably already in the emergency department, to demonstrate or rule out PPCMP. Only then, appropriate supportive measures such as appropriate medical therapy, intra-aortic balloon counter pulsation (IABP), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) or assist device support can be initiated.
Keywords: PPCMP, heart failure in pregnancy, cardiomyopathy, idiopathic cardiomyopathy, heart failure, Peripartum Cardiomyopathy, peripartum respiratory, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, intra-aortic balloon counter
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
RARE CASES IN GYNECOLOGY-OBSTETRICS
With the development of diagnostic and therapeutic techniques (such as ART techniques) and the immersion of new pathologies (such as COVID19), we are witnessing an increase in the incidence of pathologies that were previously described as rare or exceptional. the practitioner sometimes confronts difficult situations in these cases in diagnostic ...read more
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