Summaries of Must-Read Clinical Literature, Guidelines, and FDA Actions
Better screening needed to reduce pregnancy-related overdose, death
Key clinical point: Drug-induced death is the leading cause of pregnancy-associated death in Utah, primarily occurring in the late postpartum period.
Major finding: Despite known history, pregnant women were not systematically screened for drug use or treated for mental health disorders or drug misuse.
Study details: A retrospective cohort study of 136 pregnancy-associated deaths, of which 26% were drug induced.
Disclosures: Dr. Smid is supported by the Women’s Reproductive Health Research Career Development Program. The authors reported no other financial relationships or potential conflicts of interest.
Citation:
Smid M et al. Obstet Gynecol. 2019;133:1131-40.