Cardiovascular disease in the pregnant patient. A new risk factor

Coronary artery disease is a rare entity in the pregnant patient, although there have been reports of myocardial infarction in pregnancy. A new risk factor for myocardial ischemia in pregnancy, the use of cocaine, has been dramatically increasing among all patient populations. Because of cocaine, cardiac disease in pregnancy is now a common inner city event. This article reviews the pharmacology of cocaine, the medical complications of cocaine abuse, the mechanisms of cocaine-induced myocardial depression and treatment of cocaine toxicity.