Question

Peripartum cardiomyopathy occurs within what period of delivery?

• A. Within 7 days
• B. Within 6 weeks
• C. Within 24 months
• D. Within 5 months

Hint:

Recall Pearson's criteria: last month of pregnancy to 5 months postpartum.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a structural heart muscle disorder presenting with heart failure due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction in the peripartum period, in the absence of any other identifiable cause.
Step 2: Pearson's diagnostic criteria define the timing precisely: cardiac failure developing in the last month of pregnancy or within 5 months after delivery.
Step 3: Of the options, "within 5 months" matches the postpartum window of these criteria, so option d is correct.
Step 4: 7 days (option a) and 6 weeks (option b) are too short and exclude many genuine PPCM cases. 24 months (option c) is far too long and overlaps with dilated cardiomyopathy of other causes. Hence 5 months is the defining limit.