Anesthetic Management of Peripartum Cardiomyopathy in a Patient Undergoing Cesarean Section: A Case Report

Manejo anestésico de la miocardiopatía periparto en una paciente sometida a cesárea: Reporte de caso

Authors

  • Bárbara Tchissola Sanjulo da Rocha Quilezi Benguela General Hospital. Benguela, Angola.
  • Jesler Bravo Peña Benguela General Hospital. Benguela, Angola.
  • Fernando Alberto Quilezi Katyavala Bwila University Faculty of Medicine. Catumbela, Angola.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22258/hgh.v10i3.476

Abstract

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare condition characterized by left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure symptoms that manifest during the peripartum period in previously healthy women. The anesthetic management of an obstetric patient with concurrent cardiovascular pathology presents a significant challenge for the anesthesiologist. The objective is to report a case of anesthetic management of peripartum cardiomyopathy in a patient undergoing cesarean section in a hospital with limited hemodynamic resources. We report the case of a 23-year-old gravida 3, para 2, abortus 1 (G3P2A1) patient with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 19% and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class IV, who presented with fever, cough, tachycardia, and tachypnea and was diagnosed with PPCM. After clinical deterioration, a cesarean section under general anesthesia was indicated, resulting in the birth of a neonate with Apgar scores of 8 and 9 and a favorable maternal outcome. This report highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary and individualized approach for patients with PPCM. Keywords: Anesthesia; Peripartum Cardiomyopathy; Cesarean Section; Heart Failure; Angola (Source: MeSH, NLM).

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Bárbara Tchissola Sanjulo da Rocha Quilezi, Benguela General Hospital. Benguela, Angola.

Specialist in Anaesthesiology and Resuscitation. Benguela General Hospital. Benguela, Angola.

Jesler Bravo Peña, Benguela General Hospital. Benguela, Angola.

Specialist in Anaesthesiology and Resuscitation. Benguela General Hospital. Benguela, Angola.

Fernando Alberto Quilezi, Katyavala Bwila University Faculty of Medicine. Catumbela, Angola.

Internal Medicine Doctor, Cardiology Resident. Katyavala Bwila University Faculty of Medicine. Catumbela, Angola.

References

Sliwa K, Hilfiker-Kleiner D, Petrie MC, Mebazaa A, Pieske B, Buchmann E, et al. Current state of knowledge on aetiology, diagnosis, management, and therapy of peripartum cardiomyopathy: a position statement from the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on peripartum cardiomyopathy. Eur J Heart Fail. 2010;12(8):767-78. DOI:10.1093/eurjhf/hfq120.

De Backer J, Haugaa KH, Hasselberg NE, de Hosson M, Brida M, Castelletti S, et al. 2025 ESC Guidelines for the management of cardiovascular disease and pregnancy. Eur Heart J. 2025;46(43):4462-4568. DOI:10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf193.

Martínez HS, González A. Miocardiopatía periparto: revisión de la literatura. Rev Chil Cardiol. 2022;41(2):119-29. DOI:10.4067/S0718-85602022000200119.

Honigberg MC, Givertz MM. Peripartum cardiomyopathy. BMJ. 2019;364:k5287. DOI:10.1136/bmj.k5287.

Borle A, Goswami D, Meshram T, Kaur M, Akshat S. Undiagnosed peripartum cardiomyopathy: anesthesiologist's nightmare! J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2019;35(4):566-8. DOI:10.4103/joacp.JOACP_221_17.

Heidenreich PA, Bozkurt B, Aguilar D, Allen LA, Byun JJ, Colvin MM, et al. 2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA guideline for the management of heart failure: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2022;145(18):e895-e1032. DOI:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001063.

Desalegn M. Caesarean section under spinal anesthesia for a mother with dilated cardiomyopathy in a resource-limited setting: a case report. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2024;86(2):1182-4. DOI:10.1097/MS9.0000000000001655.

Arbelo E, Protonotarios A, Gimeno JR, Arbustini E, Barriales-Villa R, Basso C, et al. 2023 ESC Guidelines for the management of cardiomyopathies. Eur Heart J. 2023;44(37):3503-3626. DOI:10.1093/eurheartj/ehad194.

Bhakta P, Mishra P, Bakshi A, Langer V. Case report and mini literature review: anesthetic management for severe peripartum cardiomyopathy complicated with preeclampsia using sufentanil in combined spinal epidural anesthesia. Yonsei Med J. 2011;52(1):1-12. DOI:10.3349/ymj.2011.52.1.1.

Published

2026-09-15

How to Cite

Quilezi, B. T. S. da R., Peña, J. B., & Quilezi, F. A. (2026). Anesthetic Management of Peripartum Cardiomyopathy in a Patient Undergoing Cesarean Section: A Case Report: Manejo anestésico de la miocardiopatía periparto en una paciente sometida a cesárea: Reporte de caso. Peruvian Journal of Health Care and Global Health, 10(3). https://doi.org/10.22258/hgh.v10i3.476

Issue

Section

Case reports

Most read articles by the same author(s)