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Updated: Jun 12, 2025

Hemodynamic Precision in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit using Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography
09:31

Hemodynamic Precision in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit using Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography

Published on: January 27, 2023

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Echocardiography for Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Pregnancy

Mary Rodriguez Ziccardi1, Joan E Briller2

  • 1Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, 840 S. Wood St. (Mc 715), Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.

Current Cardiology Reports
|September 26, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Echocardiography is crucial for assessing cardiovascular disease (CVD) in pregnancy. Advanced techniques like speckle tracking aid in diagnosing subclinical conditions, improving maternal care.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of maternal mortality and morbidity.
  • Echocardiography is vital for diagnosing CVD in pregnant individuals, guiding treatment and prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review conventional and novel echocardiographic techniques for assessing CVD during pregnancy.
  • To summarize the current applications and evolving role of echocardiography in obstetric cardiology.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on echocardiography in pregnancy.
  • Focus on conventional echocardiography and advanced techniques like speckle tracking.
  • Inclusion of recent consensus statements and screening tools.

Main Results:

  • Conventional echocardiography remains valuable for known or suspected CVD.
  • Speckle tracking echocardiography is increasingly used for subclinical disease, including hypertensive disorders and left ventricular dysfunction.
  • New guidelines and screening tools offer further recommendations for echocardiography use.

Conclusions:

  • Echocardiography is the primary diagnostic tool for evaluating and risk-stratifying pregnant patients with CVD.
  • Evolving technologies enhance the diagnosis of subclinical cardiac conditions in pregnancy.
  • Further research and consensus are refining echocardiography protocols in obstetric care.
Abstract

Keywords:
Cardio-obstetricsEchocardiographyGlobal longitudinal strainHypertensive disorders of pregnancyPregnancy-associated heart failureRisk stratification

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