Feeling the pressure: complications associated with pregnancy

This interrupted case study tells the story of “Penny,” a woman who is 28 weeks pregnant with her first child. Unfortunately, things do not go smoothly in her third trimester, and she and her partner must navigate a series of appointments and tests until she is eventually diagnosed with preeclampsia. As students follow Penny’s progress, they learn about the physiological changes that occur during pregnancy, with a particular focus on blood pressure regulation. The goal of the case is to help students build a comprehensive knowledge of the body’s cardiovascular regulatory functions, including but not limited to numeric values, definitions, and the integrated function of the cardiovascular system and an individual’s health. The case is appropriate for a lower-level undergraduate or advanced high school course in human anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, biology, or pre-nursing.