Transthoracic Echocardiographic Assessment of the Heart in Pregnancy—a position statement on behalf of the British Society of Echocardiography and the United Kingdom Maternal Cardiology Society
Stephanie Curtis, Mark Belham, Sadie Bennett, Rachael James, Allan Harkness, Wendy Gamlin, B. Thilaganathan, Veronica Giorgione, Hannah Douglas, Aisling Carroll, Jamie Kitt, Claire Colebourn, Isabel Ribeiro, Sarah Fairbairn, Daniel Augustine, Shaun Robinson, Sara Thorne
Abstract
Pregnancy is a dynamic process associated with profound hormonally mediated haemodynamic changes which result in structural and functional adaptations in the cardiovascular system. An understanding of the myocardial adaptations is important for echocardiographers and clinicians undertaking or interpreting echocardiograms on pregnant and post-partum women. This guideline, on behalf of the British Society of Echocardiography and United Kingdom Maternal Cardiology Society, reviews the expected echocardiographic findings in normal pregnancy and in different cardiac disease states, as well as echocardiographic signs of decompensation. It aims to lay out a structure for echocardiographic scanning and surveillance during and after pregnancy as well as suggesting practical advice on scanning pregnant women.