Managing the Critically Ill Postpartum Patient in the Emergency Department

This review article prepares emergency physicians to recognize and manage critical illness in postpartum patients, a population at heightened risk of preventable morbidity and mortality in North America amid persistent racial/geographic disparities and shrinking obstetric access. It highlights key physiologic changes after delivery that complicate patient management. The article focuses on 3 immediate postpartum emergencies (postpartum hemorrhage, postpartum preeclampsia, and amniotic fluid embolism) and 3 subacute (pulmonary embolism, peripartum cardiomyopathy, and spontaneous coronary artery dissection). It concludes with system-level strategies to improve safety and outcomes.