Management of Labor and Delivery in a Cardiac Patient

Labor and delivery is associated with additional hemodynamic changes over and above the changes of normal pregnancy, including further elevations in heart rate, central venous pressure, and cardiac output. This chapter reviews the physiology of labor and its haemodynamic impact on women with cardiac disease, and summarizes all existing evidence pertaining to the management of labor and delivery in these women. As obstetricians, cardiologists, …