Pulmonary Hypertension and Pregnancy

Pregnancy in PAH Is Potentially Manageable.

Dr. Dianne Zwicke, a Wisconsin cardiologist has devised a treatment regimen for managing pregnancy in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

The treatment involves management of heart function during pregnancy, delivery of the baby at  36  to 37 weeks, and management of the mom’s condition in the ICU during the crucial period after delivery when maternal  mortality rate is highest.    Excess fluids  are dumped from the mother at a rate of three liters per day for 72 hours after delivery.

Dr Zwicke is not telling women with pulmonary hypertension that they should go get pregnant.  Her method, though very successful,  is not sufficiently well  tested for that, and requires monitoring and cooperation that is not available everywhere.    She has been telling already pregnant patients that they don’t have to abort the baby.

Read a news feature on Zwicke’s  treatment regimen HERE.

3 thoughts on “Pulmonary Hypertension and Pregnancy

  1. I have a friend that is currently in the same position. The doctors are pushing for her to abort but she doesn't want to even think about that. What is the complete regimen for successfully pulling this off? She has pulmonary hypertension and clotting disorder.

  2. I'm not associated with Dr. Zwicke, so I don't know the full details of her regimen. The news story is linked above, and the Doc can be located online.

    Also if your friend decides to contact Dr. Zwicke, she should have information about her clotting disorder (which type) and the hematologist who manages it.

  3. Women with pulmonary hypertension ought to be prompted against pregnancy.Satisfactory contraception ought to be installed.Barrier methods are protected however not sufficiently viable.Low-dosage consolidated oral contraceptives containing ethinyl oestradiol are not suitable for ladies with pulmonary hypertension since they are thrombogenic.Progesterone-just pills or dermal inserts can be utilized.Endothelin receptor foes,for example,bosentan can lessen the viability of oral contraceptives.
    ~Sarah Clark.

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