Journal of Reproduction & Infertility

Journal of Reproduction & Infertility

Post-Delivery Cardiomyopathy in a Patient Admitted to Critical Care Unit; A Rare Case Report

Authors
Mohammadreza Safavi 1
Azim Honarmand 1
Parviz Kashefi 1
Saied Morteza Heidari 1
Afshin Safavi 1
Rita Hekmat 2
1 Anesthesiology and Critical Care Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
2 Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract
Background: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is an uncommon disease that affects women in the last month of pregnancy or within the first five months postpartum, occurring in about 1 in 3500 live births. The disease bears potentially devastating effects both on mother and the fetus if not treated early in its course. Case Presentation: The case was a 34-year old woman with a triple pregnancy who presented to the ward immediately after cesarean section with signs of dyspnea, cyanosis and pulmonary edema. She was diagnosed with PPCM upon echocardiography. The patient improved remarkably despite the PPCM’s devastating complications. This case report aims to describe a female patient who developed PPCM after a triple delivery. Conclusion: Regarding the high risks of developing PPCM in subsequent pregnancies and avoiding multiparty, especially in older age, a reliable contraception in childbearing women would be helpful. The best prevention of PPCM is to avoid subsequent pregnancies.
Keywords
Caesarian section
echocardiography
Gestational hypertension
Myocarditis
peripartum cardiomyopathy
preeclampsia
Thrombophilic phenomena
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Journal of Reproduction & Infertility
Volume 12, Issue 1
Winter 2011
Pages 37-41