Objective
Preeclampsia is associated with asymptomatic echocardiographic changes, such as left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, LV dysfunction and remodeling, and right ventricular structural and functional changes. The link between preeclampsia and increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life is well-established, and maternal echocardiography has been evaluated in this context. Recent evidence shows that echocardiography performed in the peripartum period is more informative than that obtained several months postpartum. It is possible that aside from helping to evaluate patients’ long-term cardiovascular dysfunction, maternal echocardiography could also guide care during the management of acute preeclampsia. However, no standard guidelines currently exist for the routine use of echocardiography in patients with preeclampsia with severe features. Our objective was to determine the value of routine maternal echocardiography in preeclampsia management, specifically examining whether the performance of echocardiogram or abnormal findings on postpartum echocardiogram during delivery admission were associated with a change in hospital management of severe preeclampsia.