Cardio-OB program
Women with cardiovascular disease who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy can be referred to an innovative Cardio-OB program at UF Health Jacksonville for specialized care with a multidisciplinary team and cardio-obstetrics providers.
Recent statistics paint a stark reality: Cardiovascular disease has become the leading cause of maternal mortality during the peripartum period. This sobering fact underscores the urgent need for a program dedicated to addressing the unique cardiovascular challenges faced by women as they navigate the journey of pregnancy and childbirth.
Cardio-OB program: For pregnant women with heart disease
Women with cardiovascular disease who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy can now be referred to an innovative Cardio-OB program at UF Health Jacksonville for specialized care. To ensure the health and well-being of mother and baby, the program offers a multidisciplinary team with dedicated cardio-obstetrics providers. These experts work together to provide counseling, appropriate testing and medication management to reduce the risk of cardiac complications during pregnancy.
Cardio-OB program: Goals
Coordinated care: The Cardio-OB team coordinates care between obstetricians and cardiologists to ensure patients receive the specialized care they need throughout pregnancy.
Counseling: To help mothers-to-be understand the risks and potential complications of pregnancy, the Cardio-OB program offers pre-pregnancy counseling for women at risk or with preexisting cardiovascular conditions, such as hypertension, valvular or ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathies, or congenital heart disease.
Medications: Our care team assists with the management of medications that may be required during pregnancy to treat cardiovascular disease while minimizing the risk to the developing baby.
Monitoring: Regular cardio checkups during pregnancy and specialized testing such as echocardiograms, advanced cardiac imaging, and ambulatory cardiac monitoring, provide expectant moms the reassurance of continual monitoring and management during pregnancy.
Specialty care: With a streamlined referral and testing process, the program aims to broaden access to cardiovascular specialists for pregnant patients.
Cardio-OB program: When to refer patients
Urgent
- Pulmonary hypertension
- LVEF <40%
- Previous peripartum cardiomyopathy
- Cardiomyopathies
- Severe native valve disease
- Aortic coarctation
- Aortic dilation >50 mm
- Concern for new-onset or decompensated heart failure
- Patients on antiarrhythmics
- Mechanical valves
Prior to Delivery
- Moderate valve disease
- Bioprosthetic valves
- Any reduction in LV EF (<50%)
- Unrepaired shunts
- EKG abnormalities
- Arrhythmias
- Right ventricular dysfunction
- Prior spontaneous coronary artery dissection
- Coronary artery disease
- Vascular disorders
- Prior thromboembolic disease
- Uncontrolled hypertension
PRN
- Palpitations
- Hypertension
- Prior successfully repaired ASD, VSD, PDA without sequelae
- Uncomplicated mild pulmonary stenosis, mitral valve prolapse
- Anticoagulation management
Pre-visit Testing
- TTE within one month
- NT-proNP
- 48-hour Holter for antiarrhythmics
- TTE within three months
- 48-hour Holter for arrhythmias
- 48-hour Holter for palpitations
- Consider TTE
Patient referrals for non-UF Health physicians:
If the patient or referring provider is outside of UF Health, a referral from the patient's primary care physician will most likely be needed in order to be seen. These physicians should call Pamela at (904) 244-3378 to refer a patient to the Cardio-OB program. She will assist with scheduling for the program. Her fax number is (904) 244-3102.
Patient referrals for UF Health physicians:
EpicCare MyLink is the referring physician online portal for UF Health. This portal provides real-time web access to patient information, so referring physicians can access patients' clinical data, which streamlines and speeds up their ability to keep up to date on changes to their patients' medical record.