ABSTRACT
We review clinical care issues that are related to illicit and therapeutic opioid use among pregnant women and women in the postpartum period and outline the major responsibilities of obstetrics providers who care for these patients during the antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum periods. Selected patient treatment issues are highlighted, and case examples are provided. Securing a strong rapport and trust with these patients is crucial for success in delivering high-quality obstetric care and in coordinating services with other specialists as needed. Obstetrics providers have an ethical obligation to screen, assess, and provide brief interventions and referral to specialized treatment for patients with drug use disorders. Opioid-dependent pregnant women often can be treated effectively with methadone or buprenorphine. These medications are classified as pregnancy category C medications by the Food and Drug Administration, and their use in the treatment of opioid-dependent pregnant patients should not be considered "off-label." Except in rare special circumstances, medication-assisted withdrawal during pregnancy should be discouraged because of a high relapse rate. Acute pain management in this population deserves special consideration because patients who use opioids can be hypersensitive to pain and because the use of mixed opioid-agonist/antagonists can precipitate opioid withdrawal. In the absence of other indications, pregnant women who use opioids do not require more intense medical care than other pregnant patients to ensure adequate treatment and the best possible outcomes. Together with specialists in pain and addiction medicine, obstetricians can coordinate comprehensive care for pregnant women who use opioids and women who use opioids in the postpartum period.
Subject(s)
Opioid-Related Disorders/complications , Opioid-Related Disorders/therapy , Physician-Patient Relations , Pregnancy Complications/therapy , Analgesics, Opioid/administration & dosage , Buprenorphine/therapeutic use , Confidentiality , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Emergency Service, Hospital , Female , Humans , Labor Pain/drug therapy , Labor, Obstetric , Mental Disorders/diagnosis , Methadone/therapeutic use , Narcotic Antagonists/therapeutic use , Opiate Substitution Treatment , Opioid-Related Disorders/diagnosis , Pain, Postoperative/drug therapy , Postnatal Care , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Complications/diagnosis , Prenatal Care , Referral and Consultation , TriageABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Benzodiazepine withdrawal is accompanied by a risk of seizures, delirium, and death. While a gradual outpatient taper off of benzodiazepines is the most commonly recommended method for discontinuation, acute inpatient detoxification and seizure prophylaxis may be necessary for some. Complications related to the use of valproic acid for seizure prophylaxis are presented. OBJECTIVES: The study's objectives are to highlight an uncommon and possibly unrecognized complication of valproic acid when used for seizure prophylaxis during acute inpatient detoxification from benzodiazepines in the context of current practice. METHODS: Case series. RESULTS: Three patients with hyperammoneic encephalopathy are described. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperammoneic encephalopathy can occur as a distinct entity separate from hepatotoxicity with the use of valproic acid and may be an unrecognized complication among patients receiving this drug during benzodiazepine detoxification. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: A previously unreported complication among the addiction patient population is reported. This underscores the need for a better evidence base regarding the prevention of seizures during acute benzodiazepine detoxification, particularly in terms of indications, safety, and efficacy.