• Janice Shannon-Cain, Eric Hunt, and Brian S Cain.
• Kaiser Permanente, Department of Anesthesia, Oakland, California, USA. tube2sleep@aol.com
• AANA J. 2008 Dec 1;76(6):443-7.

AbstractPeripartum cardiomyopathy is a potentially fatal form of heart failure associated with pregnancy. A 29-year-old African American woman, gravida 3, para 2, at 36 weeks' gestation had a history of cardiomyopathy, morbid obesity (body mass index > 70 kg/m2), uncontrolled hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and required a repeat cesarean delivery. The patient was admitted to the hospital several times throughout her pregnancy for congestive heart failure, pulmonary edema, and headaches. Two years previously the patient received a diagnosis of peripartum cardiomyopathy 3 weeks after the delivery of her second child. This case report illustrates the recognition of peripartum cardiomyopathy and the risks early in pregnancy. It also describes the appropriate medical management, including transesophageal echocardiography and the need for collaboration of multiple medical specialists before and during delivery to provide the best possible outcome for both mother and infant.

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