Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
KLINIK PSIKOFARMAKOLOJI BULTENI-BULLETIN OF CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY, cilt.19, 2009 (SCI-Expanded)
In this case report, the case of a pregnant woman with schizophrenia who received ECT and Clozapine treatment during her pregnancy is discussed. Psychiatric disorders emerging or repeating during pregnancy may cause severe problems both for the woman and the fetus. Psychotic symptoms may reappear due to termination of drug treatment during pregnancy. The decision whether to apply psychopharmocologic treatment to such patients or not should be taken after a comprehensive cost/benefit analysis. However, there are no psychotropic drugs whose use during pregnancy is approved by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Moreover, Clozapine is included in category B. Accordingly, the research on the use of Clozapine during pregnancy is very limited. At this background, Electroconvulsive tehrapy (ECT), that can be used either as an alternative or compelementary to psychopharmacologic drugs, appears as an important alternative in cases where the untreated symptoms of pregnant women are intense and acute, the patient is resistant to treatment or drug treatment has the risk of harming the fetus. Our case shows that the patient had an unproblematic termination of pregnancy and the treatment did not have any adverse effects for the baby and the mother. Therefore, our case serves as an example in favour of the use of Clozapine and ECT during pregnancy. However, there is need for further research in this area.