Obs and Gynae Flashcards
name 7 important prescribing considerations during pregnancy/breastfeeding
- Changes to the mother’s physiology
- drugs passing through placenta to foetus
- drugs passing through breast milk to baby
- less available licensed medications
- minimal evidence base
- patient/healthcare professional anxiety surrounding prescibing in pregnancy
- dose alterations required in pregnancy.
How does the CVS change in pregnancy?
increases in plasma volume, CO, stroke volume, HR.
Decreases in serum albumin conc, and serum colloid osmotic pressure.
increases in coagulation factors and fibrinogen
compression of the IVC by the uterus.
Results in hyperdynamic circulation.
What might you find on CVS examination in a pregnant woman?
bounding pulse, 3rd heart sound, systolic flow murmurs
What normal physiological ECG changes might you see in a pregnant woman?
Left axis deviation, ectopic beats, ST depression and flattening/inverted T waves in inferior and lateral leads.
what normal physiological blood test findings might you find in a pregnant woman?
dilutional anaemia, leukocytosis, low albumin
what happens to the GFR in pregnancy?
Increases due to increases in renal blood flow
what physiological changes do you get in the lungs in pregnant women?
increase in tidal volume and minute ventilation.
what physiological changes do you get to the GI system during pregnancy?
N&V, delayed gastric emptying (allows increased nutrient absorption but can result in constipation), prlonged small bowel transit time, Gastrointestinal reflux
How might GI changes in pregnancy affect drug absorption?
delayed gastric emptying nad prolonged transit time alters drug bioavailability, with prolonged time to reach peak levels after oral administration and an overall decrease in maximum conc achieved. N&V can also affect absorption
how might changes to the CVS during pregnancy affect drug distribution?
increased total body water/extraellular fluid increases volume of distribution of water-soluble drugs. this could necessitate a higher inital and maintenance dose of drugs to obtain therapeutic plasma concentrations. lipid-soluble drugs are also affected due to increased fat compartment stores.
with increasing plasma volume, there is an associated reduction in maternal plasma protein conc. decreased plasma albumin conc. leads to decreased protein binding and increases free fraction of the drug. this is impoartnat for drugs such as midazolam, digoxin, phenytoin, valproic acid. However, these effects may be off-set by changes in metabolism and elimination.
What effects do maternal changes have on distribution?
increased plasma volume - increased volume of distribution of water-soluble drugs, requires higher drug doses.
Reduction in plasma protein levels - decreased protein binding, increased free fraction of the drug
what physiological effects on the liver occur in pregnancy?
changes in oxidative liver enzymes, such as cytochrome P450
how might metabolism of drugs be affected in pregnancy?
altered cytochrome P450 activity in pregnancy (unchanged/increased/decreased), alters oral bioavailability and hepatic elimination.
how is elimination of drugs affected during pregnancy?
incraesed renal blood flow and GFR means increased clearance, shorter half-lives of renal cleared drugs.
If clearance of lithium is doubled in the third trimester, how might the dose need to be adjusted?
higher dose will be required
what is the background risk of congenital malformationsi in pregnancy
2-3%
what is the background risk of congenital malformations in women with epilepsy who take AEDs during pregnancy?
4-10%
name 5 risks of using medications during pregnancy
- teratogenesis
- effects on growth and development
- effects on the neonate during delivery
- passage of drug through breast milk
- long term effects on IQ or behavioural problems
name 7 prescribing principles in pregnancy
- pre-pregnancy counselling
- risk vs benefit decision
- minimise drug use in first trimester
- small effective dose
- opt for ‘well-known’ meds
- monotherapy where possible
- consider non-drug options
- carefully monitor meds and their effects.
what is the daily recomended pre-conception dose of folic acid and for how long should it be prescribed?
400 micrograms daily up to 12wks gestation
what dose of foic acid is recommended for higher risk women during pregnancy?
5mg
name 3 AEDs with lower risks of malformations (2-5%)
lamotrigine, levetiracetam (Keppra), carbamazepine
name the AED with the higher risk of malformations (7-10%)
sodium valproate (Epilim)
What properties of a drug allow it to cross the placenta?
lipid-soluble drugs, or lipid soluble metabolites of some drugs
what is meant by complete transfer of a drug acorss teh placenta?
where drugs rapidly cross the placenta, equilibrating in maternal and fetal blood
what is meant by exceeding transfer of a drug across the placenta?
where drugs cross the placenta to reach greater concentrations in fetal compared to maternal blood
what is meant by incomplete transfer of a drug acorss the placenta?
where drugs incompletely cross the placenta resulting in higher conc in maternal compared with fetal blood
almost all drugs can pass freely through the placenta with the exception of what?
those with a molceular weight of >1kDa