A Case of Postpartum Preeclampsia

The patient is a multiparous female in her 20s, post-operative day 8 from an uncomplicated repeat low transverse cesarean section at 39 weeks gestation after an uncomplicated pregnancy, who presents with SOB. She was discharged home on post-operative day 2 with a healthy female infant. She returns today with complaints of shortness of breath for 3 days and swelling in her bilateral lower extremities for 6 days. Over the same time course she endorses orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, weight gain, and chest pain. She describes the chest pain as substernal and intermittent. She also feels as if her chest is making a crackling noise when she exhales. She denies fevers, cough, nausea, vomiting, headache, or abdominal pain. She reports that her incision is healing well. She denies pain or drainage from the incision. She is breast-feeding her daughter, who is doing well at home. She has not yet seen her Obstetrician in follow-up but did receive all appropriate prenatal care.