Why the study?
Pregnant patients with cardiac emergencies pose unique management challenges because standard interventions may risk fetal harm, requiring a structured approach to initial evaluation and stabilization.
This review provides a structured approach for emergency physicians to evaluate and stabilize pregnant patients presenting with various cardiac emergencies.
Structured approach may aid ED management of cardiac emergencies in pregnancy; leaves open need for outcome validation before adoption.
Pregnancy induces significant physiologic changes that impact the cardiovascular system, potentially exacerbating pre-existing cardiac conditions or precipitating new illnesses. Pregnant patients with cardiac emergencies pose unique challenges, as standard interventions may pose risks to the developing fetus. This article aims to enhance emergency physicians' confidence in managing pregnancy-related cardiac emergencies by providing a structured approach to initial evaluation and stabilization. We review eight common categories of pregnancy-associated cardiac illness: gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias, valvular disease, aortopathies, congenital heart disease and pulmonary hypertension, coronary disease, and anticoagulation-related complications. For each condition, we summarize relevant pregnancy-specific pathophysiology and outline evidence-based, personalized emergency management strategies.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Hodgson et al. (2025) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 3 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: