Management of drug dependency, overdose, and withdrawal in the obstetric patient.

This article discusses the approach to pregnant patients with substance use problems, a growing problem in obstetric practice. Two alternatives used to detect patients with problematic substance use are discussed: (1) historic screening, which depends on the patient to self-report about her substance use; and (2) toxological assays for substances or their metabolites in the patients' body fluids. Management of women using cocaine and alcohol is also discussed.