Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in pregnant women is a rare but potentially lethal occurrence that should be carefully managed, especially in consideration of cardiac conditions being a rising cause of maternal deaths. Risk factors for AMI occurrence, in addition to typical cardiac-related risk factors, include medical conditions such as (pre) eclampsia, blood transfusions, thrombophilia and postpartum infections. Being older, multigravida or in the third trimester of pregnancy is also associated with an increased risk. The pathophysiological causes underlying AMI in pregnancy are diverse but generally associated with the coagulative and physiological changes related to the pregnancy. The selection of diagnostic modality and treatment options require careful consideration for pregnancy-related changes as well as risk of harm to the patient and fetus. This paper serves to review available literature regarding an extensive range of management issues that directly impact on maternal and fetal outcomes.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; complications ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Young Adult

Pregnancy in patients with Eisenmenger syndrome (ES) is associated with high maternal mortality rates of 30%‒50%, or even up to 65% in the case of a cesarean section (Yuan, 2016). Here, we report a case of term pregnancy complicated with ES and severe pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH), which was managed by a multidisciplinary team (MDT) and resulted in an uncomplicated delivery via elective cesarean section. The goal of this study is to emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary approach in the management of pregnancy with ES, which can profoundly improve maternal and infant outcomes.
Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Cesarean Section ; Eisenmenger Complex/therapy* ; Hypertension, Pulmonary/therapy* ; Maternal Mortality ; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular/therapy* ; Pregnancy Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To explore the management of heart failure, the timing of delivery in pregnancy, and the influence on pregnant prognosis. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the incidence of heart failure, treatment results, pattern of termination, and time of termination in 356 cases of pregnancy with heart disease. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-six (38.20%) cases were diagnosed as heart failure and 76 (55.88%) were moderate or severe heart failure. Heart failure tends to occur more easily in rheumatic heart diseases than in congenital heart diseases. Heart failure occurred more frequently in pregnancy with rheumatic heart diseases without the heart operation before pregnancy than that of pregnancy with congenital heart diseases. The occurence of the moderate and severe heart failure in pregnancy decreased in rheumatic heart diseases with surgical therapies compared with those without surgical therapies (P <0.05). Compared with pregnancy with heart failure controlled inadequately, pregnancy with effectively controlled heart failure had better tolerance during delivery and through the pregnancy, and puerperium. CONCLUSION Congenital heart diseases and rheumatic heart diseases are the chief causes of heart failure during the gestation. Therapy before pregnancy, especially surgery to the rheumatic heart diseases, may improve the cardiac function during pregnancy. Monitoring heart function and selecting the proper timing to terminate pregnancy after controlling the heart failure in late pregnant period will be helpful to improve the prognosis of pregnant and perineonate.
Adult ; Delivery, Obstetric ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; complications ; Heart Failure ; etiology ; therapy ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular ; therapy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Retrospective Studies ; Rheumatic Heart Disease ; complications ; Time Factors

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Intracranial Embolism ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Rheumatic Fever ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Rheumatic Heart Disease ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Sacroiliac Joint

Pheochromocytoma in pregnancy is very rare but it is associated with very high maternal and fetal mortality. Therefore, it is important to include pheochromocytoma in the differential diagnosis of hypertension associated with pregnancy. It is difficult to make a diagnosis of pheochromocytoma in pregnancy before delivery. The characteristic symptoms of pheochromocytoma could be initiated during delivery because the process of delivery, general anesthesia, fetal movement, induce acute surge of catecholamine release, which could also induce cardiomyopathy. Early diagnosis and intensive care can affect the prognosis of cardiomyopathy induced by pheochromocytoma. Proper management with alpha-blockade, beta-blockade and angiotension converting enzyme inhibitor could acutely reverse the course of cardiomyopathy.
Adrenal Gland Neoplasms/surgery ; Adrenal Gland Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Adrenal Gland Neoplasms/complications ; Adult ; Cardiovascular Agents/therapeutic use ; Disease-Free Survival ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Human ; Myocardial Diseases/ultrasonography ; Myocardial Diseases/etiology* ; Myocardial Diseases/drug therapy ; Pheochromocytoma/surgery ; Pheochromocytoma/diagnosis* ; Pheochromocytoma/complications ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular/etiology* ; Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic/surgery ; Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic/diagnosis* ; Pregnancy Outcome* ; Puerperium ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Substances: Cardiovascular Agents

Anticoagulation drugs should be used for patients with mechanical heart valve (MHV) in case of potential risk of thrombosis. Pregnant women with MHV have to change therapies due to teratogenic effect of some anti-coagulation drugs. European Society of Cardiology clinical guidelines for the management of cardiovascular diseases during pregnancy gives specific suggestions for anticoagulation therapy.We have treated 2 patients with mechanical heart valve thrombosis (MVT) during pregnancy: One received low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) throughout the pregnancy and developed MVT at the third trimester of pregnancy; one developed MVT at the first trimester when replacing vitamin K antagonists (VKA) with LMWH. These patients raised secondary reflection on the balance between clinical guideline and personalized medicine. During LMWH therapy, we should dynamically monitor patients' anti-activated factor X (anti-Xa) level to evaluate coagulation function during pregnancy. When a pregnant woman with MHV develops symptoms of acute heart failure, stuck mechanical valve should be paid attention to and surgery should be promptly performed if necessary.
Anticoagulants/adverse effects* ; Female ; Heart Valve Prosthesis/adverse effects* ; Heart Valves ; Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight/adverse effects* ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular/drug therapy* ; Thrombosis/drug therapy*

INTRODUCTIONPeripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is an uncommon form of congestive heart failure, affecting obstetric patients around the time of delivery. The epidemiology of PPCM is infrequently reported. This study was undertaken to define the prevalence, presentation and outcome of PPCM among women giving birth in a teaching hospital in Malaysia.

METHODSA retrospective case record analysis was conducted on all patients admitted and diagnosed with PPCM at the University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2009. All deliveries were undertaken in the same hospital.

RESULTSA total of 12 patients were diagnosed with PPCM during the ten-year study period. The prevalence of PPCM was 2.48 in 100,000 (1 in 40,322) live births. Nine women were diagnosed with PPCM within five months of delivery. Three women had twin pregnancies. There was one death in the group (mortality rate 8.3%). The mean left ventricular ejection fraction at the time of diagnosis was 28.9% ± 8.5% (range 15%-40%). Following the index event, left ventricular function normalised in six of the nine patients (66.7%) who underwent subsequent echocardiography one year later. All patients were treated with standard heart failure therapy. Two patients with normalised left ventricular function had subsequent pregnancies - one pregnancy was terminated at seven weeks and the other patient delivered uneventfully at full term.

CONCLUSIONPPCM is uncommon. The outcome in our series was favourable, with 66.7% of patients with PPCM recovering their left ventricular function. The mortality rate was 8.3%.

Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cardiology ; methods ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; complications ; therapy ; Echocardiography ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Malaysia ; Obstetrics ; methods ; Peripartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular ; Prevalence ; Puerperal Disorders ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo analyze the clinical characteristics of peripartum cardiomyopathy and to evaluate the different factors that influence the prognosis of the peripartum cardiomyopathy.

METHODA retrospective review was undertaken on records of women who were diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between Jan. 1983 and May 1999.

RESULTSDuring the research period, only 16 pregnant women were documented as peripartum cardiomyopathy. Some of the women undertook ultrasonic cardiographic (UCG) examination that showed decreased systolic function. Seven women were complicated with pregnancy induced hypertension. Three died of disseminated intravascular coagulation, embolism and cardiogenic shock respectively.

CONCLUSIONEarly diagnosis of the peripartum cardiomyopathy is extremely important. The UCG can provide helpful information on disease progression or regression.

Adult ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Pre-Eclampsia ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Prognosis ; Puerperal Disorders ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has updated the Clinical Practice Guidelines on Lipids to provide doctors and patients in Singapore with evidence-based treatment for lipids. This article reproduces the introduction and executive summary (with recommendations from the guidelines) from the MOH Clinical Practice Guidelines on Lipids, for the information of SMJ readers. Chapters and page numbers mentioned in the reproduced extract refer to the full text of the guidelines, which are available from the Ministry of Health website: http://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/healthprofessionalsportal/doctors/guidelines/cpg_medical.html.
Adult ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; complications ; therapy ; Child ; Coronary Artery Disease ; complications ; therapy ; Decision Support Systems, Clinical ; Dyslipidemias ; blood ; complications ; therapy ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; complications ; therapy ; Life Style ; Lipids ; blood ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; blood ; Male ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors ; Singapore

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare but serious form of cardiac failure affecting women in the last months of pregnancy or early puerperium. Clinical presentation of PPCM is similar to that of systolic heart failure from any cause, and it can sometimes be complicated by a high incidence of thromboembolism. Prior to the availability of echocardiography, diagnosis was based only on clinical findings. Recently, inclusion of echocardiography has made diagnosis of PPCM easier and more accurate. Its etiopathogenesis is still poorly understood, but recent evidence supports inflammation, viral infection and autoimmunity as the leading causative hypotheses. Prompt recognition with institution of intensive treatment by a multidisciplinary team is a prerequisite for improved outcome. Conventional treatment consists of diuretics, beta blockers, vasodilators, and sometimes digoxin and anticoagulants, usually in combination. In resistant cases, newer therapeutic modalities such as immunomodulation, immunoglobulin and immunosuppression may be considered. Cardiac transplantation may be necessary in patients not responding to conventional and newer therapeutic strategies. The role of the anesthesiologist is important in perioperative and intensive care management. Prognosis is highly related to reversal of ventricular dysfunction. Compared to historically higher mortality rates, recent reports describe better outcome, probably because of advances in medical care. Based on current information, future pregnancy is usually not recommended in patients who fail to recover heart function. This article aims to provide a comprehensive updated review of PPCM covering etiopathogeneses, clinical presentation and diagnosis, as well as pharmacological, perioperative and intensive care management and prognosis, while stressing areas that require further research.
Anesthesia, Obstetrical/adverse effects ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Female ; Heart Failure/*diagnosis/etiology/therapy ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular/*diagnosis/etiology/therapy ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left/ultrasonography