title: The pregnant heart: cardiac emergencies during pregnancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiovascular emergencies in pregnant patients are often considered a rare event; however, heart disease as a cause of maternal mortality is steadily increasing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this article, we review 3 common cardiovascular emergencies and the important subtle differences in their treatment in the pregnant patient: peripartum/postpartum cardiomyopathy, acute myocardial infarction, and cardiac resuscitation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Managing these conditions in the emergency department setting requires a high index of suspicion, knowledge of anatomical and physiologic changes associated with pregnancy, and updated management strategies related to optimizing maternal and fetal health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02903. Electronic address: amcgregormd@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Alyson J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: McGregor
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02903.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barron
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02903.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rosene-Montella
mesh_terms: D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D003330:Coronary Vessel Anomalies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D012151:Resuscitation / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000151:congenital* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy