Heart disease in pregnancy—evaluation of disease pattern and outcome in Sri Lanka

Summary

The outcome of 166 patients presenting with heart disease complicating pregnancy were studied at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, De Soysa Hospital for Women, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The incidence of cardiac disease complicating pregnancy was 1·46; per cent. In 116 (69·8 per cent) this was rheumatic in origin and 50 patients (30·2; per cent) had congenital heart disease. The complications seen during pregnancy included heart failure, atrial fibrillation, systemic embolism and rheumatic chorea. There were four maternal deaths. Two patients with Eisenmenger's syndrome, one with severe aortic stenosis and one with mixed rheumatic valvular disease died during the study period. The perinatal mortality rate was 18.1 per 1000 births.