Pulmonary Hypertension in Pregnancy: A Positive Outcome with a Multidisciplinary Team and Individualized Treatment Plan

Abstract

PULMONARY HYPERTENSION (PH) is a challenging disease to treat and is associated with a great degree of morbidity and mortality. When a right ventricle, which is accustomed to operating at low pressure, faces the increased afterload that is conferred with PH, especially in the acute setting, it is prone to failure and ultimately can result in hemodynamic collapse. The normal physiologic changes of pregnancy, particularly increased blood volume, lower systemic vascular resistance and systemic blood pressure, and increased cardiac output, are particularly deleterious in the patient with PH. Here, the authors describe a case of a woman who was diagnosed with severe PH during pregnancy and was safely navigated through a cesarean section and the subsequent postpartum period.