Pregnancy with CHF

[meikman]

I delievery 5 months ago at 32 wks due to severe Pre-eclampsia, severe protenuria protein at 19 grams, pulmonary edema, and HELLP Syndrome.  My sister, a nurse, erged me to obtain my records as I was very courious as to what happen at delievery with the baby.  I was placed on a vent before surgery and taken to ccu thereafter and stayed on the vent for 4 days. While reading my records it had also stated that I  had Congestive Heart Failure.  Mild mitral value regurgation, trace tricupid and aortic regurgation.  This was never mention to me.  I assume because it must not be important.  I was told though that I could never have another baby that I wouldn't live through it.

My questions are what is the importance of CHF and the regurgation?
Should this be followed up?  Is the CHF a symptom of rest of my conditions or vise versa?

Thank you for your input.

[CANDEYAMS]

I HAVE A QUESTION I NEWLEY PREGANT AFTER HAVING MY 3YR OLD FOLLOWED BY CHF AFTER CHILD BIRTH I JUST THOUGHT I WAS SHORT OF BREATH BECAUSE OF BEING PREGNANT BUT A WEEK AFTER I HAD HER I STILL HAD THE PROBLEMS WENT TO ER AND WAS INFORMED I HAD CHF AND THAT IF I DIDNT COME WHEN I DID I WOULDNT BE HERE TODAY. THE PROBLEMS IS THIS WAS NOT A PLANNED PREGNANCY AND IM NOT I MEAN NOT A BELEIVER IN ABORTION I KNOW THAT THEY TOLD ME I SHOULDNT GET PREGNANT AGAIN MY HUSBAND CONTIUE TO SAY HE WAS GOING TO GET FIXED BUT AS YOU KNOW HAS TAKEN HIS TIME. IM NOT SURE IF I SHOULD ABOARD THIS CHILD, I KNOW MY LIFE IS AT STAKE AND I HAVE TWO CHILDREN BUT THIS IS ALSO MINE WHAT IS THE LIKELY HOOD THAT I COULD HARM MYSELF IF I CONTINUE WITH THIS ALSO MY FAMILY HX MY MOTHER PASSED AWAY OF CHF AND MY FATHER HAD IT ALSO. I KNOW THAT YOUR PROBABLY SAYING WELL ITS OBVIOUS WHAT SHOULD BE DONE BUT I ALWAYS HAVE SAID I WOULD NEVER NEVER DO THAT TYPE OF THING UNLESS I GOT THERE BY SOMETHING OUT OF MY CONTROL SUCH AS RAPE ECT... PLEASE HELP

[CANDEYAMS]

I HAVE A QUESTION I NEWLEY PREGANT AFTER HAVING MY 3YR OLD FOLLOWED BY CHF AFTER CHILD BIRTH I JUST THOUGHT I WAS SHORT OF BREATH BECAUSE OF BEING PREGNANT BUT A WEEK AFTER I HAD HER I STILL HAD THE PROBLEMS WENT TO ER AND WAS INFORMED I HAD CHF AND THAT IF I DIDNT COME WHEN I DID I WOULDNT BE HERE TODAY. THE PROBLEMS IS THIS WAS NOT A PLANNED PREGNANCY AND IM NOT I MEAN NOT A BELEIVER IN ABORTION I KNOW THAT THEY TOLD ME I SHOULDNT GET PREGNANT AGAIN MY HUSBAND CONTIUE TO SAY HE WAS GOING TO GET FIXED BUT AS YOU KNOW HAS TAKEN HIS TIME. IM NOT SURE IF I SHOULD ABOARD THIS CHILD, I KNOW MY LIFE IS AT STAKE AND I HAVE TWO CHILDREN BUT THIS IS ALSO MINE WHAT IS THE LIKELY HOOD THAT I COULD HARM MYSELF IF I CONTINUE WITH THIS ALSO MY FAMILY HX MY MOTHER PASSED AWAY OF CHF AND MY FATHER HAD IT ALSO. I KNOW THAT YOUR PROBABLY SAYING WELL ITS OBVIOUS WHAT SHOULD BE DONE BUT I ALWAYS HAVE SAID I WOULD NEVER NEVER DO THAT TYPE OF THING UNLESS I GOT THERE BY SOMETHING OUT OF MY CONTROL SUCH AS RAPE ECT... PLEASE HELP

[meikman]

Thank you for your reply.  I did have very high B/P it was up to 210/110 this is why I was admitted 4 days before delievry.  I did swell so bad, my hands were like ballons along with my legs, neck, even my belly you could tell it was water.  They try to induced and on the second day with only 1 cm dilated and because I had been complaining for the second day that I couldn't breath they did the c-section.  The Dr did tell me that on the day after delievery that my output was 10,100 cc as stated in the records.

Again thank you for your reply and I will follow up with my primary so that he can send me to specialist if anything just for peace of mind.

[Cleveland Clinic]

Meikman,

There are several reasons why people get pulmonary edema that can be unrelated to primary heart dysfuction. CHF is kind of a blanket term that referred to fluid in the lungs that may not have been related to a primary cardiac reason.  Without looking at your records its difficult to tell you a full story. You do not mention or ejection fraction in your post, but if normal your pulmonary edema may have been related to the high blood pressure of eclampsia or the critical illness and low plasma protein from the eclampsia. The regurgitation in this setting is not outside of the nnormal range and may not mean too much at all. Despite this, obviously you are fortunate to have made it through and another pregnancy would be contraindicated.


good luck