title: The team approach to pregnancy and congenital heart disease.
abstract: The successful pediatric management of congenital heart disease has resulted in increasing numbers of these patients in the reproductive age group and increasing clinical challenges for their physicians. These challenges can be met successfully, with improved results for mother and child, through a concerted comprehensive team approach that relies on a thorough understanding of the patient's underlying cardiac pathology and its anticipated interaction with the pregnancy, and ongoing close evaluation and communication with a team of trained and experienced specialist, including (but not limited to) cardiologist, obstetricians, anesthetists, pediatricians, clinical nurse specialists, and clinical geneticists. Such teams are not always available locally and it will be necessary to refer medium- and high-risk patients to a specialized tertiary care center.
authors.affiliation: Adult Congenital Heart Disease Centre, Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London SW3 6NP, UK. kafkamd@usa.net
authors.forename: Henryk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kafka
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gatzoulis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012306:Risk
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants