2021 ICD-10-CM Code O88.33

Information for Patients

Also called: Post-pregnancy health

Taking home a new baby is one of the happiest times in a woman's life. But it also presents both physical and emotional challenges.

• Get as much rest as possible. You may find that all you can do is eat, sleep, and care for your baby. And that is perfectly okay. You will have spotting or bleeding, like a menstrual period, off and on for up to six weeks.
• You might also have swelling in your legs and feet, feel constipated, have menstrual-like cramping. Even if you are not breastfeeding, you can have milk leaking from your nipples, and your breasts might feel full, tender, or uncomfortable.
• Follow your doctor's instructions on how much activity, like climbing stairs or walking, you can do for the next few weeks.
• Doctors usually recommend that you abstain from sexual intercourse for four to six weeks after birth.

In addition to physical changes, you may feel sad or have the "baby blues." If you are extremely sad or are unable to care for yourself or your baby, you might have a serious condition called postpartum depression.

Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health

• After vaginal delivery - in the hospital (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Losing weight after pregnancy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Questions to ask your doctor about going home with your baby (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Questions to ask your doctor about post pregnancy care (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Vaginal delivery - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia)

Sepsis is a serious illness. It happens when your body has an overwhelming immune response to a bacterial infection. The chemicals released into the blood to fight the infection trigger widespread inflammation. This leads to blood clots and leaky blood vessels. They cause poor blood flow, which deprives your body's organs of nutrients and oxygen. In severe cases, one or more organs fail. In the worst cases, blood pressure drops and the heart weakens, leading to septic shock.

Anyone can get sepsis, but the risk is higher in

• People with weakened immune systems
• Infants and children
• Adults 65 and older
• People with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, AIDS, cancer, and kidney or liver disease
• People suffering from a severe burn or physical trauma

Common symptoms of sepsis are fever, chills, rapid breathing and heart rate, rash, confusion, and disorientation. Doctors diagnose sepsis using a blood test to see if the number of white blood cells is abnormal. They also do lab tests that check for signs of infection.

People with sepsis are usually treated in hospital intensive care units. Doctors try to treat the infection, sustain the vital organs, and prevent a drop in blood pressure. Many patients receive oxygen and intravenous (IV) fluids. Other types of treatment, such as respirators or kidney dialysis, may be necessary. Sometimes, surgery is needed to clear up an infection.

NIH: National Institute of General Medical Sciences

• Blood culture (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Group B streptococcal septicemia of the newborn (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Neonatal sepsis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Sepsis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Septic shock (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Septicemia (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Toxic shock syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia)

What are vascular diseases?

Your vascular system is your body's network of blood vessels. It includes your

• Arteries, which carry oxygen-rich blood from your heart to your tissues and organs
• Veins, which carry the blood and waste products back to your heart
• Capillaries, which are tiny blood vessels that connect your small arteries to your small veins. The walls of the capillaries are thin and leaky, to allow for an exchange of materials between your tissues and blood.

Vascular diseases are conditions which affect your vascular system. They are common and can be serious. Some types include

• Aneurysm - a bulge or "ballooning" in the wall of an artery
• Atherosclerosis - a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood.
• Blood clots, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism
• Coronary artery disease and carotid artery disease, diseases that involve the narrowing or blockage of an artery. The cause is usually a buildup of plaque.
• Raynaud's disease - a disorder that causes the blood vessels to narrow when you are cold or feeling stressed
• Stroke - a serious condition that happens when blood flow to your brain stops.
• Varicose veins - swollen, twisted veins that you can see just under the skin
• Vasculitis - inflammation of the blood vessels

What causes vascular diseases?

The causes of vascular diseases depend on the specific disease. These causes include

• Genetics
• Heart diseases such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure
• Infection
• Injury
• Medicines, including hormones

Sometimes the cause is unknown.

Who is at risk for vascular diseases?

The risk factors for vascular diseases can vary, depending on the specific disease. But some of the more common risk factors include

• Age - your risk of some diseases goes up as you get older
• Conditions that can affect the heart and blood vessels, such as diabetes or high cholesterol
• Family history of vascular or heart diseases
• Infection or injury that damages your veins
• Lack of exercise
• Obesity
• Pregnancy
• Sitting or standing still for long periods of time
• Smoking

What are the symptoms of vascular diseases?

The symptoms for each disease are different.

How are vascular diseases diagnosed?

To make a diagnosis, your health care provider will do a physical exam and ask about your symptoms and medical history. You may have imaging tests and/or blood tests.

How are vascular diseases treated?

Which treatment you get depends on which vascular disease you have and how severe it is. Types of treatments for vascular diseases include

• Lifestyle changes, such as eating a heart-healthy diet and getting more exercise
• Medicines, such as blood pressure medicines, blood thinners, cholesterol medicines, and clot-dissolving drugs. In some cases, providers use a catheter to send medicine directly to a blood vessel.
• Non-surgical procedures, such as angioplasty, stenting, and vein ablation
• Surgery

Can vascular diseases be prevented?

There are steps you can take to help prevent vascular diseases:

• Make healthy lifestyle changes, such as eating a heart-healthy diet and getting more exercise
• Don't smoke. If you are already a smoker, talk to your health care provider for help in finding the best way for you to quit.
• Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol in check
• If you have diabetes, control your blood sugar
• Try not to sit or stand for up long periods of time. If you do need to sit all day, get up and move around every hour or so. If you traveling on a long trip, you can also wear compression stockings and regularly stretch your legs.

• Aortic arch syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Arterial embolism (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Arteriogram (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Cerebral angiography (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Duplex ultrasound (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Venous insufficiency (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Venous ulcers -- self-care (Medical Encyclopedia)