28-year-old pregnant lady comes to the ER with headache, blurring of vision and vomiting. On examination, her BP is 195/150 mm Hg, ankle edema present, urinary proteinuria present. On inquiry, she is primi and it is 23 weeks of gestation. All on a sudden, she develops convulsion. Intravenous magnesium sulphate is introduced immediately and she recovers smoothly. During discharge, which of the following medication will be justified?
High-Yield Explanation
Answer: b) MetoprololMethyldopa is still the drug of choice for many obstetricians in pregnancy, because extensive experience has shown that it does not harm the fetus.Nifedipine is also used in pregnancy, but it is kept in second class. Nifedipine can reduce BP immediately and it is unpredictable even sometimes large enough to cause cerebral ischemia.Beta blockers can cause growth retardation in first and second trimester. It can be used in last trimester in combination with hydralazine to combat the unpleasant tachycardia.ACE-inhibitors and ARBs (i.e. - Losartan, Olmesartan) are absolutely contraindicated during pregnancy, where they cause fetal death, typically mid-trimester.