Maternal cardiac haemodynamics in severe pre-eclampsia complicated by acute pulmonary oedema: A review

AbstractAim: To establish alterations in maternal cardiac haemodynamics and function using electrocardiography and echocardiography in severe pre-eclampsia complicated by acute pulmonary oedema.Methods: An extensive literature search including any research articles, randomised control trials, observational study, case report or expert or consensus statement pertaining to severe pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, hypertensive crises of pregnancy, pulmonary oedema, maternal cardiac haemodynamics, Holter monitoring and maternal echocardiography was done. Electronic search strategies included searching the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Pubmed databases.Results: Toxic substrates from a chronically ischaemic placenta and elevated maternal cathecolamines leads to widespread elevated systemic vascular resistance, endothelial cell damage and increased left ventricular afterload all of which combine to result in left ventricular hypertrophy with impaired ventricular filling reflected as significant diastolic dysfunc...