Examples of what to look out for in pts with cardiac disease

Question 1

Examples in ANC for cardiac patients

Answer 1

• Expect the grade of NYHA to go up one in pregnancy
• Expect the grade of a murmur to go up one
• A sudden increase in the loudness of a heart murmur can suggest the development of vegetations from endocarditis
• The appearance of a new murmur is nearly always significant
• In Marfan syndrome, a new diastolic murmur can indicate dilatation of the aortic root with the onset of aortic regurgitation. This may lead to heart failure or aortic dissection
• Crackles at lung bases: pulmonary oedema