Pulmonary Hypertension and Pregnancy. Martin Stephanie R,Edwards Alexandra Obstetrics and gynecology Pulmonary hypertension is a term used to describe a complex multifactorial group of conditions diagnosed by an elevated mean pulmonary artery pressure of 20 mm Hg or higher on right heart catheterization. The diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension in pregnancy is important, as it is associated with high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality, even with modern management. Diagnostic testing is important for establishing the diagnosis, type, and severity of pulmonary hypertension, which in turn, dictates treatment options. Echocardiographic assessment is the first step in diagnosis and the gold standard for monitoring right heart function in patients with pulmonary hypertension. Supportive therapy for pulmonary hypertension includes monitored exercise, vaccination, and avoidance of certain activities. Therapies for pulmonary hypertension are considered conventional or targeted. Conventional therapy includes preventative care, anticoagulation, and calcium channel blockers for appropriate patients. Targeted therapy is usually reserved for patients with World Health Organization group 1 pulmonary arterial hypertension (including idiopathic, heritable, drug-induced or associated with congenital heart disease) and involves different types of direct pulmonary vasodilators. Right heart failure is the end result of pulmonary hypertension and the options for management include medical optimization, support with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and combined heart-lung transplantation. With pregnancy, management must be individualized, and patients should be cared for as part of an experienced multidisciplinary team. There are few studies addressing, timing and mode of delivery, including anesthetic considerations. In this review, the natural history of pulmonary hypertension in pregnancy and outcomes are summarized and current evidence-based management is discussed. 10.1097/AOG.0000000000003549

Pregnancy outcome analysis of 94 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension during pregnancy. European review for medical and pharmacological sciences OBJECTIVE:The aim of the study was to analyze the pregnancy outcomes of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension to provide a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS:Clinical data of 94 patients with a pregnancy complicated by pulmonary hypertension were retrospectively analyzed. The means and percentages of the pregnancy outcomes were calculated, and the analysis of variance, Chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test were applied for comparison. RESULTS:The pregnancy outcomes were less favorable in the severe pulmonary arterial hypertension group compared to the mild and moderate groups. The more severe the pulmonary arterial hypertension, the worse the heart function. A poorer heart function was associated with a poorer prognosis across different pregnancy outcomes. CONCLUSIONS:A pregnancy with more severe pulmonary arterial hypertension and worse cardiac function has a poorer maternal and infant prognosis and pregnancy outcome. Cesarean section is the preferred delivery method for patients with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension, whereas vaginal delivery is preferred for patients with mild or moderate pulmonary arterial hypertension and good cardiac function. 10.26355/eurrev_202203_28345

Pregnancy outcomes in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: A retrospective study. Medicine The mortality of pregnant women with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains high. The aim of this study was to evaluate and analyze perinatal and postpartum outcomes in patients with PAH.A total of 79 pregnant patients with PAH who underwent abortion or parturition were reviewed retrospectively. Preoperative characteristics, anesthesia method, intensive care management, PAH-specific therapy, and maternal and neonatal outcomes were analyzed in this case series study.This study was a retrospective analysis of 79 pregnant women with PAH. We collected data on maternal, obstetrical, and neonatal outcomes. The mean age of the parturient women with mild and severe PAH was 26.6 ± 5.7 and 26.0 ± 4.9 years, respectively, and the mean systolic pulmonary arterial pressure of the 2 groups was 43.8 ± 4.2 mmHg and 76.7 ± 15.6 mmHg, respectively. Of the 79 patients, 43 (54.4%) had severe PAH and 36 (45.6%) had mild PAH. The gestational weeks were significantly shorter and the rate of fetal death was higher in the severe PAH group than in the mild PAH group (36.0 vs 37.3 weeks and 6/24 vs 1/30, respectively; P < .05). Fifty-seven patients received PAH-specific therapy during pregnancy, including sildenafil, iloprost, and treprostinil. Overall, 22 PAH patients underwent therapeutic abortion and 57 continued their pregnancy. A total of 9 women, all of whom had severe PAH, died within 3 months of labor, giving a mortality rate of 15.8% (9/57). Of the 57 parturients, 21 (35.6%) gave birth prematurely and 36 (64.4%) delivered at term. Overall, 55 (96.5%) patients delivered by cesarean section and 2 (3.5%) delivered vaginally. There were 7 fetal deaths - 6 in the severe PAH group and one in the mild PAH group (6/24 vs 1/30).Although the mortality rate of this group of women with PAH was lower than that previously reported, patients with PAH should still be advised against pregnancy. 10.1097/MD.0000000000020285

Maternal Outcomes Among Pregnant Women With Congenital Heart Disease-Associated Pulmonary Hypertension. Circulation BACKGROUND:Studies focused on pregnant women with congenital heart disease (CHD)-associated pulmonary hypertension (PH) are scarce and limited by small sample sizes and single-center design. This study sought to describe the pregnancy outcomes in women with CHD with and without PH. METHODS:Outcomes for pregnant women with CHD were evaluated retrospectively from 1993 to 2016 and prospectively from 2017 to 2019 from 7 tertiary hospitals. PH was diagnosed on the basis of echocardiogram or catheterization. The incidence of maternal death, cardiac complications, and obstetric and offspring complications was compared for women with CHD and no PH, mild, and moderate-to-severe PH. RESULTS:A total of 2220 pregnant women with CHD had completed pregnancies. PH associated with CHD was identified in 729 women, including 398 with mild PH (right ventricle to right atrium gradient 30-50 mm Hg) and 331 with moderate-to-severe PH (right ventricle to right atrium gradient >50 mm Hg). Maternal mortality occurred in 1 (0.1%), 0, and 19 (5.7%) women with CHD and no, mild, or moderate-to-severe PH, respectively. Of the 729 patients with PH, 619 (85%) had CHD-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension, and 110 (15%) had other forms of PH. Overall, patients with mild PH had better maternal outcomes than those with moderate-to-severe PH, including the incidence of maternal mortality or heart failure (7.8% versus 39.6%; <0.001), other cardiac complications (9.0% versus 32.3%; <0.001), and obstetric complications (5.3% versus 15.7%; <0.001). Brain natriuretic peptide >100 ng/L (odds ratio, 1.9 [95% CI, 1.0-3.4], =0.04) and New York Heart Association class III to IV (odds ratio, 2.9 [95% CI, 1.6-5.3], <0.001) were independently associated with adverse maternal cardiac events in pregnancy with PH, whereas follow-up with a multidisciplinary team (odds ratio, 0.4 [95% CI, 0.2-0.6], <0.001) and strict antenatal supervision (odds ratio, 0.5 [95% CI, 0.3-0.7], =0.001) were protective. CONCLUSIONS:Women with CHD-associated mild PH appear to have better outcomes compared with women with CHD-associated moderate-to-severe PH, and with event rates similar for most outcomes with women with CHD and no PH. Multimodality risk assessment, including PH severity, brain natriuretic peptide level, and New York Heart Association class, may be useful in risk stratification in pregnancy with PH. Follow-up with a multidisciplinary team and strict antenatal supervision during pregnancy may also help to mitigate the risk of adverse maternal cardiac events. 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.122.057987

Pregnancy Considerations in the Multidisciplinary Care of Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Journal of cardiovascular development and disease Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a vasoconstrictive disease of the distal pulmonary vasculature resulting in adverse right heart remodeling. Pregnancy in PAH patients is associated with high maternal morbidity and mortality as well as neonatal and fetal complications. Pregnancy-associated changes in the cardiovascular, pulmonary, hormonal, and thrombotic systems challenge the complex PAH physiology. Due to the high risks, patients with PAH are currently counseled against pregnancy based on international consensus guidelines, but there are promising signs of improving outcomes, particularly for patients with mild disease. For patients who become pregnant, multidisciplinary care at a PAH specialist center is needed for peripartum monitoring, medication management, delivery, postpartum care, and complication management. Patients with PAH also require disease-specific counseling on contraception and breastfeeding. In this review, we detail the considerations for reproductive planning, pregnancy, and delivery for the multidisciplinary care of a patient with PAH. 10.3390/jcdd9080260