BOF: 2.52
A 30-year-old female has been seen at the antenatal
clinic. She is on lithium for treatment of hypomania and has just found out
she is pregnant.
The registrar in the clinic rings you up to ask you what
the likelihood of foetal abnormalities are in this situation.
You reply that in the first trimester treatment with
lithium increases the likelihood of the patient developing:
a)
Atrial septal defect
b)
Ventricular septal defect
c)
Fallot’s tetralogy
d)
Ebstein’s anomaly
e)
Coarctation of the aorta
Answer:
d)
Lithium use is not advised in the first trimester of
pregnancy as it can increase the likelihood of foetal malformation such as
Ebstein’s anomaly (atrialisation of the right ventricle).
