Use of esmolol in a parturient with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy

The physiological changes occurring during pregnancy and labour may reveal or exacerbate the symptoms of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). We describe the management of labour in a patient with severe HOCM during which esmolol, a short-acting beta adrenergic antagonist, was used together with extradural analgesia and invasive cardiovascular monitoring to achieve an assisted vaginal delivery with minimal haemodynamic disturbance. The effects on the infant are described and the literature on the use of esmolol in pregnancy is reviewed.