Subsequent Pregnancies PPCM is associated with a high risk of recurrence in subsequent pregnancies both in patients who have recovery of LV function and in those with persistent LV dysfunction.43-46 Patients with PPCM who recover their LV function have a lesser chance

of recurrence compared to those with persistent LV dysfunction.46 The increased deterioration Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of LV function in subsequent pregnancy in patients with persistent LV dysfunction leads to a worse prognosis (20–30% mortality in subsequent pregnancy), whereas patients with a full recovery of LV function have negligible mortality in subsequent pregnancies.46, 47 Appropriate counseling regarding subsequent pregnancies and contraception is important.48 Every woman with PPCM should be informed about detrimental effects of a subsequent pregnancy on cardiac function, and women with LVEF of <25% at diagnosis of PPCM or persistent LV dysfunction should be advised against a subsequent pregnancy.48 The safety of contraceptive Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical use among women with PPCM has not been well studied.49, 50 Counseling to women with recovered ventricular function is challenging. LV systolic function is considered a major prognostic factor for subsequent pregnancies in patients with PPCM.51, 52 If a

woman plans to become pregnant, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical echocardiography should be performed, and dobutamine find more stress echocardiography may be helpful.51 Dobutamine stress echocardiography Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical can be used to determine the contractile reserve in patients

with recovered LV function.53, 54 Women with recovered LV function on both echocardiography and dobutamine stress test have approximately 35% risk of recurrence of PPCM during subsequent pregnancies.51 Still, every subsequent pregnancy in women with PPCM should be managed in high-risk perinatal centers, as subsequent pregnancies are associated with a high risk of recurrence despite recovered LV function.44, 54, 2 Funding Statement Funding/Support: Dr. Ather is supported by the American Heart Association SCA predoctoral fellowship Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical (2010-2012) and the Alkek foundation fellowship (2009-2012). Footnotes Conflict of Interest Disclosure: The authors have completed and submitted the Methodist DeBakey Cardiovascular Journal Conflict of Interest Statement and none were reported.
The Teledactyl (Tele, far; Dactyl, finger — from the Greek) is a future instrument by which it will be possible for us to ‘feel at a distance.’ This idea is not at all impossible, for the instrument can be built today with means available Mannose-binding protein-associated serine protease right now. It is simply the well known telautograph, translated into radio terms, with additional refinements. The doctor of the future, by means of this instrument, will be able to feel his patient, as it were, at a distance…The doctor manipulates his controls, which are then manipulated at the patient’s room in exactly the same manner. The doctor sees what is going on in the patient’s room by means of a television screen.