POSTPARTUM CARDIOMYOPATHY

Course overview

POSTPARTUM CARDIOMYOPATHY, ALSO KNOWN AS PERIPARTUM CARDIOMYOPATHY (PPCM), IS DEFINED AS NEW ONSET HEART FAILURE BETWEEN THE LAST MONTH OF PREGNANCY AND 5 MONTHS POST DELIVERY WITH NO DETERMINABLE CAUSE. POSTPARTUM CARDIOMYOPATHY IS A RARE CAUSE OF HEART FAILURE. ITS INCIDENCE AND PREVALENCE ARE HIGHLY VARIABLE DEPENDING ON THE RACE AND GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS. ITS CLINICAL OUTCOME IS ALSO DIVERSE FROM COMPLETE RECOVERY TO DEATH. POSTPARTUM CARDIOMYOPATHY IS A DIAGNOSIS OF EXCLUSION. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION, ETIOLOGY, AND MANAGEMENT OF POSTPARTUM CARDIOMYOPATHY AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF AN INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND IMPROVING CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.