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Symptoms in women with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy: A mixed method study
Harshida Patel1, Marie Berg2, Anders Barasa3
1Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Midwifery
|October 31, 2015
Summary
Women with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) experienced debilitating symptoms like breathlessness and fear, often feeling helpless. Early recognition by healthcare professionals is crucial for timely PPCM diagnosis and treatment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Maternal Health
- Psychology
Background:
- Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) presents diagnostic challenges due to overlapping symptoms with normal pregnancy changes.
- Understanding women's subjective experiences of PPCM symptoms is vital for improving care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore and describe the lived experiences of women diagnosed with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative inductive content analysis of individual interviews with 19 women diagnosed with PPCM.
- Triangulation of interview data with medical record review.
- Study setting in Western Sweden.
Main Results:
- A core theme emerged: women felt 'caught in a spider web,' experiencing symptom invasion and helplessness.
- Physical symptoms included shortness of breath, fatigue, and swelling; emotional symptoms involved fear and anxiety.
- Symptom onset occurred during pregnancy for most women, with diagnosis delays ranging from 3 to 190 days.
Conclusions:
- PPCM symptoms are profoundly debilitating, exhausting, and frightening.
- Healthcare professionals, particularly midwives, require enhanced skills to identify early PPCM symptoms.
- Further research is needed to improve midwife knowledge and optimize care for PPCM patients.
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