Eisenmenger's Syndrome in Pregnancy

To the Editor: Eisenmenger's syndrome consists of pulmonary hypertension with a reversed or bidirectional shunt at the atrial, ventricular, or aortopulmonary level1. Pregnancy should ideally be avoided in a woman with Eisenmenger's syndrome, since it carries a high (approximately 50 percent) risk of sudden death, frequently occurring a few days postpartum2. Because pulmonary thromboembolism may be a cause of sudden death in this setting,3,4 anticoagulation in the peripartum period has been suggested as a method to lower this risk,3 but it may instead contribute to a fatal outcome. A 32-year-old woman was transferred to our hospital. At . . .