Open Access 01-12-2010 | Case report
Severe postpartum sepsis with prolonged myocardial dysfunction: a case report
Published in: Journal of Medical Case Reports | Issue 1/2010
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Introduction
Severe sepsis during pregnancy or in the postpartum period is a rare clinical event. In non obstetric surviving patients, the cardiovascular changes seen in sepsis and septic shock are fully reversible five to ten days after their onset. We report a case of septic myocardial dysfunction lasting longer than ten days. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of prolonged septic myocardial dysfunction in a parturient.
Case presentation
A 24 year old Hispanic woman with no previous medical history developed pyelonephritis and severe sepsis with prolonged myocardial dysfunction after a normal spontaneous vaginal delivery.
Conclusions
Septic myocardial dysfunction may be prolonged in parturients requiring longer term follow up and pharmacologic treatment.