Related Experiment Videos
Peripartum cardiomyopathy: a case series
M Ruiz-Bailén1, A López-Martínez, J A Ramos-Cuadra
1Critical Care and Emergencies Department, Hospital de Poniente, El Ejido, Almería, Spain. MRB1604@teleline.es Spain.MRB1604@teleline.es
Objectives:
We describe our experience with peripartum cardiomyopathy.
Design And Setting:
A case series in intensive care units (ICU) of a district hospital and a referral center.
Patients:
Six patients who required admission to an ICU after the onset of peripartum cardiomyopathy.
Results:
Five of the six patients survived, with total recovery of ventricular function. After 1 year of follow-up all five survivors were symptom free with a normal ventricular function.
Conclusions:
There is a low rate of ICU admissions for peripartum cardiomyopathy, which has a potentially fatal prognosis. However, this disease can be detected by echocardiography among patients without the semiology.