Anesthetic management and outcomes of parturients with dilated cardiomyopathy in an academic centre

Caesarean section under spinal anesthesia for a mother with dilated cardiomyopathy in a resource-limited setting: a case report

Introduction and importance

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is an uncommon form of cardiomyopathy that develops in the latter stages of pregnancy or in the first few weeks following delivery. Anaesthetic management of caesarean section of a parturient with dilated cardiomyopathy is challenging due to its nature of impaired ventricular contractility coupled with cardiovascular changes during pregnancy. This is significantly worse in a resource-constrained environment with restricted access to medications and equipment.

Case presentation

We report a case of a 31-year-old multigravida parturient presented with a diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy and a low ejection fraction undergoing emergency caesarean section. Successful management of a parturient with dilated cardiomyopathy undergoing a caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia is reported in this case report.

Clinical discussion

Spinal anaesthesia is another alternative for the successful management of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) using a low dose of bupivacaine with intrathecal adjuvants. Our report indicates that caesarean section also may be managed safely with spinal anaesthesia alone in patients with DCM, by using low-dose bupivacaine and intrathecal morphine. The slight haemodynamic changes were adjusted with fluid infusion. The use of vasopressors was not required to manage the hypotension.

Conclusion

General anaesthesia, epidural alone, and epidural combined with spinal anaesthesia are the widely used anaesthetics techniques for caesarean section in patients with heart disease. Spinal anaesthesia with low-dose bupivacaine with opioids is another suitable choice. The case report is written according to the CARE guideline (https://www.care-statement.org).

Continuous Spinal Anesthesia for Labor Analgesia and Cesarean Delivery in a Parturient With Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A Case Report

We report a case of successful continuous spinal anesthesia (CSA) for labor analgesia and cesarean delivery in a patient with familial dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). A 33-year-old pregnant woman diagnosed with DCM was scheduled for a vaginal delivery under labor analgesia. An accidental intrathecal catheter was placed, and labor analgesia was provided by CSA. The vaginal delivery was converted to a cesarean delivery, and an intrathecal catheter was used for transition, which avoided hemodynamic changes and allowed the patient to safely undergo cesarean delivery. CSA is a reliable and rapidly titratable technique that provides excellent analgesia without hemodynamic changes in patients with DCM undergoing labor analgesia and subsequent cesarean delivery.

Anesthetic Management in Peripartum Cardiomyopathy: A Contemporary Review

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is an uncommon disorder of the cardiovascular system and is linked to high rates of morbidity and mortality. It is an idiopathic condition characterized by left ventricular systolic dysfunction with an ejection fraction of approximately 45% near the end of pregnancy or immediately after delivery. Anesthesia management in these women is challenging due to low physiological reserve and potential negative effects on the fetus. To ensure that mother and child are supported safely through delivery, careful anesthesia control is required. Here, in this review article, we discuss the anesthetic implications in preoperative, operative, and postoperative phases in women with perioperative cardiomyopathy undergoing vaginal delivery or cesarean section.

Perioperative management of emergent cesarean section in a patient with peripartum cardiomyopathy and orthopnea: a case report

Perioperative management of pregnant women with heart failure is difficult. Management of anesthesia in pregnant women is especially difficult because all of the currently available choices present challenges. We report a patient with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) who required an emergent cesarean section and discuss the possible tactics for managing anesthesia. A 40-year-old primipara with severe cardiac and respiratory failure required an emergent cesarean section at 39⁺¹ gestational weeks. Her left ventricular ejection fraction was between 10% and 15%, and she had orthopnea. General anesthesia was planned after inserting sheaths for percutaneous cardiopulmonary support from the femoral artery and vein. However, when the patient was asked to lie down on the operation bed, she panicked and resisted because of labor pain and dyspnea. Therefore, anesthesia was induced instead of the initial plan. Finally, we successfully managed the anesthesia and delivered the newborn. There are no alternatives to general anesthesia in patients with PPCM presenting with orthopnea. Anesthesia induction in the supine position is impossible in such patients owing to dyspnea. Anesthesia should be started with light sedation in the sitting position, and ketamine or low-dose remifentanil may be an option to maintain maternal hemodynamics and prevent neonatal asphyxia.

Successful use of ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve block for lower limb surgery in a patient with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: a case report

The number of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is increasing. These patients have a reduced cardiorespiratory reserve. Therefore, preoperative evaluation is essential to determine the best type of anaesthesia to use in patients with HFrEF. A 70-year-old man with HFrEF was scheduled to undergo debridement of skin necrosis due to thrombotic occlusion of the right common iliac artery. He had undergone wound dressing changes under local anaesthesia every other day for several months, and treatment for heart failure was on-going. A sciatic nerve and fascia iliaca compartment block was performed under ultrasound guidance because of the patient’s cardiopulmonary function. After confirming adequate sensory blockage, surgery was performed without any haemodynamic instability or complications. Thereafter, debridement was performed twice more using the same block technique, and a skin autograft was also successfully performed. We successfully performed an ultrasound-guided sciatic nerve and fascia iliaca compartment block in a patient with HFrEF who was scheduled to undergo lower limb surgery. Peripheral nerve block is an alternative option for patients with HFrEF.

Selective Spinal Anesthesia in a Patient with Low Ejection Fraction Who Underwent Emergent Below-Knee Amputation in a Resource-Constrained Setting

Patients with congestive heart failure have a high risk of perioperative major adverse cardiac events and death. The major perioperative goal of management in patients with low ejection fraction is maintaining hemodynamic stability. Evidence is scarce on the safety of a certain anesthetic technique for patients with heart failure. In this report, we present a 48-year-old man with ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy and low-output congestive heart failure (estimated ejection fraction of 27%) who underwent emergent below-knee amputation under selective spinal anesthesia without any apparent complications. We believe that selective spinal anesthesia can be a useful alternative anesthetic technique in patients with low ejection fraction undergoing emergent lower limb surgery. We showed evidence-based and customized anesthetic management of a high-risk patient with the available equipment and resources. This report will hopefully show the contextual challenges of the perioperative care of critically ill patients in resource-constrained settings.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Pregnancy: Outcomes From an Australian Tertiary Centre for Maternal Medicine and Review of the Current Literature

BACKGROUND

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is associated with significant risks of decline in left ventricular function and adverse maternal and fetal outcome in subsequent pregnancy. The risks of pregnancy in women with dilated cardiomyopathy are unclear. We aimed to assess the outcome of pregnancy in women with dilated cardiomyopathy seen at our institution and to review the literature on this subject.

METHODS

A retrospective audit of the outcomes of 14 pregnancies to 12 women with dilated cardiomyopathy.

RESULTS

There were no cardiac events and no woman had a decline in left ventricular function during pregnancy. There was a high rate of prematurity and adverse fetal outcome related to this, including four neonatal deaths.

CONCLUSION

Maternal outcomes in this small series were satisfactory though only three women had moderate-severe left ventricular dysfunction at baseline. There was a high rate of premature delivery and adverse neonatal outcome.

Neuraxial anaesthesia in parturient with cardiac disease

Parturient with corrected or uncorrected cardiac problem may undergo neuraxial anaesthesia for several reasons and in different trimesters. The altered physiological state in a parturient is further deranged in the presence of a cardiovascular lesion, producing the added risk to the parturient undergoing a neuraxial block. A detailed evaluation, knowledge regarding cardiovascular disease state, more vigilant monitoring, and a team approach can lead to a successful outcome.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy: a systematic literature review

INTRODUCTION

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare but potentially fatal disease defined by heart failure towards the end of pregnancy or in the months following delivery. We aim to raise awareness of the condition and give the clinician an overview of current knowledge on the mechanisms of pathophysiology, diagnostics and clinical management.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Systematic literature searches were performed in PubMed and Embase up to June 2016. Cohorts of more than 20 women with PPCM conducted after 2000 were selected to report contemporary outcomes and prognostic data. Guidelines and reviews that provided comprehensive overviews were included, too.

RESULTS

New research on the pathophysiological mechanisms of PPCM points towards a two-hit multifactorial cause involving genetic factors and an antiangiogenic hormonal environment of late gestation with high levels of prolactin and sFlt-1. The prevalence of concomitant preeclampsia is high (often 30-45%) and symptoms can be similar, posing diagnostic difficulties. Most women (71-98%) present postpartum. Echocardiography is essential for diagnosis, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging may provide new insights to pathophysiology and prognosis. Management is multidisciplinary and involves advanced heart failure therapy. Treatment, timing and mode of delivery in pregnant women depend on disease severity. The risk of relapse in subsequent pregnancies is >20%, and women are often advised against a new pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS

PPCM has a huge impact on cardiovascular health and reproductive life perspective. New insights into genetics, molecular pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical studies have resulted in potential disease-specific therapies, but many questions remain unanswered.

Non-invasive cardiac output monitoring for cesarean delivery under epidural anesthesia in a patient with Marfan syndrome and cardiomyopathy

Maternal cardiac output and stroke volume increase significantly at the time of cesarean delivery. Parturients with baseline myocardial dysfunction are at increased risk of cardiovascular decompensation in the peripartum period and close hemodynamic monitoring is warranted. We report our use of intraoperative non-invasive cardiac output monitoring during cesarean delivery under epidural anesthesia in a 24-year-old woman with dilated cardiomyopathy secondary to Marfan syndrome, aortic arch, aortic valve and mitral valve replacements and a left ventricular ejection fraction of 37%. Three distinct hemodynamic trends were noted. After achieving adequate surgical anesthesia with 2% lidocaine 20mL, cardiac output and stroke volume rose for approximately 20min from baseline values of 6.3L/min and 69mL, respectively, to 9L/min and 107mL. Values subsequently trended down and remained depressed for nearly 20min following delivery. The lack of immediate post-delivery increases in both cardiac output and stroke volume were attributed to acute blood loss, intravascular volume depletion from fluid restriction, and slow infusion of oxytocin. By the end of surgery, cardiac output and stroke volume ultimately increased by 66% and 84% of baseline values, respectively. Systemic blood pressure, heart rate and cardiac output did not appear to correlate despite the use of phenylephrine to manage hypotension. The patient remained hemodynamically stable with no evidence of acute volume overload.