ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the common cardiovascular symptoms of pregnancy and the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative Cardiovascular disease in pregnancy toolkit designed to identify pregnant women who are at increased risk of Cardiovascular disease requiring further cardiovascular evaluation. Physiologic changes in pregnancy most often lead to signs and symptoms that may mimic cardiac disease. Heart rate begins to increase as early as 5 weeks of gestation, which may be perceived as palpitations that continue throughout pregnancy. The most common new-onset arrhythmia during pregnancy is supraventricular tachycardia, followed by atrial fibrillation, which may be associated valve stenosis with or without a history of rheumatic heart disease. Maternal mortality reviews indicate that the most important driving factors are delays in diagnosis and treatment of heart disease in pregnancy and a lack of recognition by the health care provider.
