-
Antiarrhythmic drug therapy during pregnancy.
Pregnancy increases the work demands on the heart by increasing blood volume and thereby cardiac output. Therefore, in pregnant patients with organic heart disease, arrhythmias may have significant hemodynamic consequences to the mother with harm to the fetus. As a result of improved medical therapy, an increasing number of women with cardiac diseases or rhythm disorders reach their reproductive years and require medication. Information on the effect of antiarrhythmic agents on the human fetus as well as the possible changes in therapeutic response during the altered state of pregnancy is limited. In principle, the approach to the treatment of arrhythmias in pregnant patients is similar to that in nonpregnant patients. Special consideration, however, must be given with regard to drug selection and dosage in order to avoid adverse effects on the mother and fetus.
PMID: 6132574 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
Cited by 1 PubMed Central article
Patient Drug Information
-
Phenytoin (Dilantin® , Dilantin® Infatabs® , Dilantin® Kapseals® , ...)
Phenytoin is used to control certain type of seizures, and to treat and prevent seizures that may begin during or after surgery to the brain or nervous system. Phenytoin is in a class of medications called anticonvulsant...
-
Verapamil (Calan® , Calan® SR Caplets® , Covera-HS® , ...)
Verapamil is used to treat irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias) and high blood pressure. It relaxes your blood vessels so your heart does not have to pump as hard. It also increases the supply of blood and oxygen to the he...
-
Amlodipine (Norvasc, Vascor, Cardizem, ...)
How do calcium channel blockers compare in treating hypertension?
- »
See all 4 drug reports
...