Before marketing a new drug, the manufacturer almost never tests the product in pregnant women to determine its effects on the fetus. Consequently, most drugs are not labeled for use during pregnancy. Typically, descriptions of drugs that appear in the Physicians' Desk Reference and similar sources contain statements such as, “Use in pregnancy is not recommended unless the potential benefits justify the potential risks to the fetus.” Since the risk has been adequately established for only a few drugs, physicians caring for pregnant women have very little information to help them decide whether the potential benefits to the mother outweigh . . .

Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) during pregnancy. Are they safe?

Drugs in Pregnancy

Anesthesia for Obstetrics

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) continue to be a mainstay of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management despite exciting recent advances in the therapy of RA (Table 1). Before the era of modern medicine, willow bark, which contains salicylates, was used to treat fever and pain (1). In 1860, salicylic acid was introduced for the treatment of rheumatic diseases, followed by the introduction of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) in 1899 (1). Salicylates remained the principle pharmacologic therapy of RA until the introduction of glucocorticoids in the 1940s. In the current era of early, aggressive management of RA with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, the NSAIDs have assumed an adjunctive role in reducing the symptoms of RA.

Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) during pregnancy. Are they safe?

Citations

Drugs in Pregnancy

Anesthesia for Obstetrics

Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Anesthetic Considerations During Pregnancy and for the Newborn

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