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Published on: April 28, 2023
Acute premature constriction of the ductus arteriosus after maternal self-medication with nimesulide
Federico Prefumo1, Maurizio Marasini, Pierangela De Biasio
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Institute G Gaslini, Genova, Italy. federico.prefumo@libero.it
Objective:
To describe clinical findings in a case of premature ductal constriction associated with maternal use of nimesulide, a cyclo-oxygenase type-2 inhibitor.
Methods:
Case report.
Results:
A mother self-administered nimesulide at 39 weeks of gestation due to lower back pain. Less than 24 h later premature ductal constriction was diagnosed by echocardiography following a suspicious fetal heart rate recording with baseline tachycardia and absent accelerations.
Conclusion:
In a term pregnancy, nimesulide administration can rapidly cause premature ductal constriction. This condition may induce abnormalities in the fetal heart rate trace.
