How to manage a woman presenting with acute PPCM

Abstract Accurate diagnosis and timely treatment initiation are crucial to optimize outcome of women affected by acute PPCM. Therapeutic interventions—in particular in pregnant women—may be limited, since they always need to consider both the health of the mother and the fetus. Particularly challenging are severe forms of acute PPCM leading to cardiopulmonary instability, as the mortality of these women is particularly high. Interdisciplinary approaches of cardiologists, intensivists, obstetricians, neonatologists, anesthetists, and cardiac surgeons are necessary in case of acute PPCM. As evidence from large randomized clinical trials is lacking, this chapter provides practical recommendations for the acute treatment of PPCM causing acute heart failure based on recent data and clinical experience.