Iloprost & Pregnant Caregiver

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I recently found out that I am pregnant. Many of the patients I work with have pulmonary hypertension to the point that they are on continuous iloprost through the ventilator. My hospital puts up signs saying no pregnant caregivers for these patients. I am very likely to be assigned one of them. When I have asked in the past, no one seems no why pregnant women can't be in the room and I can't find information on google other than it being category C for people who take it. My question is must I disclose my pregnancy so early on? I really would like to wait as long as I can.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

That's tough. When I was pregnant with my older ones, I don't remember there being the number of "hazardous" drugs that there are now... I gave immunosuppressive drugs and the like all the time. With my 4 yr old early on, I just double gloved when handling the meds/bodily waste. FOR ME, I was comfortable with that... it's not like I was mixing methotrexate or thalidomide in the regular ol' med room. (I did however, always glove/gown/mask in the known presence of CMV. Titer had shown I was susceptible to it, and the effects on a fetus put the fear of God in me.)

I started my current job -- which puts the sign on the pt's door, includes the info in the new nurse classes, etc. -- when I was showing. I asked a colleague who was in her 1st trimester, "how does that work?" She responded "You get outed pretty fast."

I say it's tough because I know for some, it would be really difficult to announce a miscarriage so would prefer to wait.... but then, you would have to choose which risk to take.

You could advise your manager/charge nurses that you want to be safe, but otherwise your pregnancy is not yet public knowledge.

Congratulations, by the way! :dummy1:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I don't think you will find anyone who will contradict the manufacturer; even the patient instructions say that patients should take care not to expose pregnant women. Your place has gone to the extent of placing signs; that's saying something.

Kindly :), this is not the type of situation where it is fair to another nurse or to you and your baby for one of us to take the risk of saying, "Well, I took care of those patients all the time and everything turned out just fine." KWIM?

The warnings have to do with the effects of the medication and with the fact that even if a pregnant woman were to decide with her doctor that she was going to take the medication and maintain the pregnancy, that would be a situation where full risks and benefits had been weighed out carefully. In your situation there is no benefit (except a personal preference to conceal your pregnancy awhile longer) and there IS possible risk.

This seems like your best bet:

You could advise your manager/charge nurses that you want to be safe, but otherwise your pregnancy is not yet public knowledge.

Congratulations, and best wishes ~

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

This should be something you run past your healthcare provider. Since we cannot give medical advice per Terms of Service, which this does fall into that category, please do follow up with your HCP.

Congratulations and we wish you well with your pregnancy.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment