Signs and symptoms of normal pregnancy versus heart failure
| May be present in normal pregnancy | Suggests cardiac pathology |
|---|---|
| Fatigue | Chest pain |
| Exertional dyspnoea | Severe breathlessness, orthopnoea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea, cough |
| Palpitation (re-entry tachycardia, atrial and ventricular premature beats) | Atrial flutter or fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia |
| Elevated jugular venous pressure | Systemic hypotension |
| Sinus tachycardia 10–15% above normal heart rate | Sinus tachycardia >15% above normal heart rate |
| Full volume pulse | |
| Third heart sound | Fourth heart sound |
| Systolic flow murmur | Pulmonary oedema |
| Pedal oedema | Pleural effusion |