Author:

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Anesthesiology, Pregnancy, delivery, paracetamol, ketorolac, clinical pharmacology, drug metabolism, INTRAVENOUS PARACETAMOL, CLINICAL-PHARMACOLOGY, CESAREAN DELIVERY, PAIN, PREGNANCY, Acetaminophen, Adult, Analgesics, Non-Narcotic, Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal, Biotransformation, Body Weight, Cesarean Section, Delivery, Obstetric, Female, Humans, Injections, Intravenous, Ketorolac Tromethamine, Postpartum Period, 1103 Clinical Sciences, 3202 Clinical sciences

Abstract:

During pregnancy, changes in renal elimination, body composition and metabolic activity occur. Since these important alterations in physiology also affect drug disposition, pregnancy warrants a focused approach. Despite these differences, even commonly administered drugs have not undergone pharmacokinetic evaluation in pregnant women or at delivery. This is also true for analgesics routinely administered by anesthesiologists during pregnancy or at delivery, like intravenous (i.v.) paracetamol or ketorolac. We report on our observations on i.v. paracetamol and ketorolac disposition following cesarean delivery to illustrate the feasibility of such focused studies and the impact of pregnancy on drug disposition. The clinical relevance of these observations are subsequently discussed, and some future research directions are suggested.