Drug therapy of otorhinolaryngological diseases in pregnancy : An update

The majority of women take at least one form of medication during pregnancy. Due to often discrepant information about the risk assessment of pharmaceuticals during pregnancy, physicians are often beset by uncertainty with respect to prescription and the fear of medicolegal consequences is high. As prospective clinical trials on drug safety during pregnancy are prohibited due to ethical reasons and animal studies are of limited applicability to humans, drug recommendations often only rely on observational data. An objective examination of the topic not only contributes to effective treatment of illnesses in pregnancy but also prevents impairment of fetal outcome by omission of necessary maternal treatment. The aim of this article is to give a structured presentation of medications that can be used during pregnancy for treating medical conditions of the ear, nose and throat, in the sense of practical guidelines.