title: Illicit drug use in late pregnancy associated with stillbirth and eclampsia.
abstract: We present the case of a 20-year-old student with an undiagnosed pregnancy who had taken ecstasy and LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide). Twenty-four hours later she delivered a stillborn term infant, and subsequently developed eclampsia with seizures, hypertension and proteinuria. Illicit drug use is relatively common in women of child-bearing age in Australia, and is a risk factor for adverse obstetric outcomes. Ecstasy (MDMA [3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine]) is a sympathomimetic amine, similar to amphetamine in its cardiovascular effects. LSD is a hallucinogen with complex pharmacology and has potential for significant compromise of placental blood flow. We propose that the combined vasoconstrictive effects of MDMA and LSD caused placental ischaemia, contributing to the fetal death and precipitating a cascade of endothelial dysfunction which resulted in an eclamptic syndrome.
authors: Obstetric Medicine Unit, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital , Brisbane, Queensland , Australia.
authors: Katherine
authors: K
authors: Scott
authors: Obstetric Medicine Unit, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital , Brisbane, Queensland , Australia.
authors: Narelle
authors: N
authors: Fagermo
authors: Obstetric Medicine Unit, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital , Brisbane, Queensland , Australia.
authors: Leonie
authors: L
authors: Callaway
authors: Obstetric Medicine Unit, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital , Brisbane, Queensland , Australia.
authors: Karin
authors: K
authors: Lust
keywords: LSD; MDMA; drugs (abuse); eclampsia; illicit drugs; placenta; preeclampsia; pregnancy