Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Cardiac disease in pregnancy history and symptoms
Introduction
Overview
Overview
A history should be taken to assure that the patient does not have a condition that would place them at high risk during the pregnancy such as Marfan’s syndrome, Eisenmenger’s syndrome, a prior history of peripartum cardiomyopathy or pulmonary arterial hypertension.
History
History
Major causes for pregnancy-related mortality include: hypertensive heart disease, congenital heart disease, marfan’s syndrome and cardiomyopathy which can be distinguished by taking a careful personal and family history.
Symptoms
Symptoms
Common symptoms present during pregnancy include: fatigue, decreased exercise capacity, hyperventilation, dyspnea, tachycardia and palpitations.
Secondary to inferior vena caval compression by the gravid uterus resulting in reduced venous return from the lower extremities, patients may even experience orthostatic lightheadedness and syncope.
Pedal edema is often observed during the last trimester and may lead to an erroneous diagnosis of heart failure.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [2]; Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S. [3]