Use of psychotropic drugs during pregnancy and breast-feeding

OBJECTIVE

To write clinical guidelines for the use of psychotropic drugs during pregnancy and breast-feeding for daily practice in psychiatry, obstetrics and paediatrics.

METHOD

As we wanted a guideline with a high degree of consensus among health professionals treating pregnant women with a psychiatric disease, we asked the Danish Psychiatric Society, the Danish Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Danish Paediatric Society and the Danish Society of Clinical Pharmacology to appoint members for the working group. A comprehensive review of the literature was hereafter conducted.

RESULTS

Sertraline and citalopram are first-line treatment among selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor for depression. It is recommended to use lithium for bipolar disorders if an overall assessment finds an indication for mood-stabilizing treatment during pregnancy. Lamotrigine can be used. Valproate and carbamazepin are contraindicated. Olanzapine, risperidone, quetiapine and clozapine can be used for bipolar disorders and schizophrenia.

CONCLUSION

It is important that health professionals treating fertile women with a psychiatric disease discuss whether psychotropic drugs are needed during pregnancy and how it has to be administered.

[Junior physicians educate themselves. Educational value of trainees' work at a department of surgery]

In order to investigate the educational value of trainee surgeons' work, all work done by trainees at a Department of Surgery was recorded in a prospective and consecutive way for four weeks. It was recorded as fixed categories divided into intervals of 15 minutes. The work could be classified in three dimensions: Character, educational value and geography. The youngest trainees performed routine work without educational value. They had some practical jobs which could be done by other personnel. The work did not fulfil the educational claims for a trainee surgeon in phase I. The second group of trainees performed much routine work without educational value. They had no practical jobs that could have been performed by non-doctors. They had some work with educational value but not enough to fulfil the goals of a trainee surgeon in phase II.

CONCLUSION

Doctors' clinical education could be improved by giving them work with educational value and supervision. Supervision should be performed by specialists who should also contribute to the routine work without educational value.