Poor Ventricular Contractility Research Articles

Peripartum Cardiomyopathy Presenting at Cesarean Section - A case report -

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is defined as the onset of acute heart failure without any demonstrable cause in the last trimester of pregnancy or within the first 6 months after delivery. It is characterized by ventricular dilatation and poor ventricular contractility but it is often unrecognized because the symptoms of normal pregnancy commonly mimic those of mild heart failure. The incidence varies from 1 in 1,300 to 1 in 15,000 pregnancies. We encountered a patient, who developed sudden pulmonary edema during an elective cesarean section. Echocardiography performed after the surgery showed a low ejection fraction (20%). The patient was treated with diuretics and inotropic agents and mechanical ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure. She was discharged uneventfully on the postoperative 11th day.

Acute Fulminant Myocarditis after Diphtheria, Polio, and Tetanus Vaccination

We report an infant case of acute fulminant myocarditis which occurred after administration of a diphtheria, polio, and tetanus vaccination. Fever and dyspnea developed after the vaccination. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was used for intractable cardiogenic shock. The patient survived the extracorporeal support, but poor ventricular contractility recurred 2 months later and she died while waiting for heart transplantation.