Key result
Focused cardiac ultrasound at the point of care may allow earlier and more accurate diagnosis of cardiac disease in pregnancy, potentially decreasing maternal morbidity and mortality.
Why the study?
Diagnosis of cardiac disease in pregnancy is often delayed due to symptom overlap with normal pregnancy, worsening maternal morbidity and mortality.
Does focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS) at the point of care improve the diagnosis and management of cardiac disease in pregnancy?
Does focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS) at the point of care improve the diagnosis and management of cardiac disease in pregnancy?
The use of focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS) at the point of care may allow earlier and more accurate diagnosis of cardiac disease in pregnancy, potentially decreasing maternal morbidity and mortality.
Hypothesis-generating for point-of-care FOCUS in pregnancy; prospective trials needed before clinical adoption.
Cardiac disease in pregnancy is an important cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. In many high-income countries, acquired cardiac disease is now the largest cause of maternal mortality. Given its prevalence in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), rheumatic heart disease is the most common cause of cardiac disease in pregnancy worldwide and is associated with poor maternal outcome. The diagnosis of cardiac disease in pregnancy is often delayed resulting in excess maternal morbidity and mortality. Maternal mortality review committees have suggested that prompt recognition and treatment of heart disease in pregnancy may improve maternal outcome. Given the similarities between symptoms of normal pregnancy and those of cardiac disease, the clinical diagnosis of heart disease in pregnancy is challenging with echocardiography being the primary diagnostic modality. Focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS) at the point of care provides supplemental data to the history and physical examination and has been demonstrated to permit early diagnosis and improvement in the management of cardiac disease in emergency medicine, intensive care, and anesthesia. It has also been demonstrated to be useful in surveillance for rheumatic heart disease in LMICs. The use of FOCUS may allow earlier and more accurate diagnosis of cardiac disease in pregnancy with the potential to decrease morbidity and mortality in both developed and developing countries.
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Edwards et al. (2023) conducted a review in Cardiac disease in pregnancy. Focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS) was evaluated. Focused cardiac ultrasound at the point of care may allow earlier and more accurate diagnosis of cardiac disease in pregnancy, potentially decreasing maternal morbidity and mortality.
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