Part One: Clinical Dialogue*

Multiple sclerosis typically affects women of childbearing age and can influence fertility, pregnancy and decisions regarding breastfeeding. Management of a pregnant patient with MS or a patient contemplating pregnancy presents many unique issues and can be quite challenging.

 

The intent of this Clinical Dialogue, a video-based activity, is to review the most up-to-date evidence on MS, specifically on fertility and pregnancy outcomes, management of MS during pregnancy, the reproductive safety of DMTs, their use when breastfeeding and issues related to postpartum management. We will also address preconception issues, including pregnancy outcomes when it is the male patient who has MS. The eCase Challenge, a text-based activity, will allow the participant to apply the knowledge gained from this Clinical Dialogue in a few real-world clinical scenarios.

 

It is important to emphasize that the questions and answers discussed in this program must be individualized to the specific circumstances of each patient and their acceptance of risk.

 

Target Audience

Healthcare professionals, specifically, neurologists, internists, family practice physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses and other providers involved in the care of patients with multiple sclerosis.

Learning Objectives

After participating in this activity, the participant will demonstrate the ability to:
  • Recognize the importance of providing preconception counseling to all patients of childbearing age in order to reduce reproductive risks
  • Apply the most recent evidence concerning the reproductive safety of approved DMTs when counseling patients with MS who are considering pregnancy or those who are pregnant
  • Summarize and provide context for the available data (animal and human) concerning the reproductive safety of newer and emerging DMTs
  • Assess the available evidence regarding DMTs and male reproductive health in order to effectively communicate their potential risks to male patients with MS
  • Discuss the evidence on the safety of DMTs used during lactation, in order to optimize outcomes for patients with MS who breastfeed their infants
  • Implement evidence-based treatment strategies to optimize the management of postpartum relapses
Additional information
Contact email: 
ijhn@jhmi.edu
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 ANCC
  • 1.00 Attendance
Registration opens: 
05/07/2014
Registration closes: 
05/06/2016
Cost:
$0.00
Part of: 
Clinical Challenges in MS Care: Family Planning, Pregnancy, and Disease-Modifying Therapies
Jack N. Ratchford, MD
Assistant Professor of Neurology
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD
 
Faculty:
Moderator
Jack N. Ratchford, MD
Assistant Professor of Neurology
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD
 
Patricia K. Coyle, MD
Professor and Vice Chair
Department of Neurology
Director, Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Care Center
SUNY at Stony Brook University Medical Center
Stony Brook, NY
 
Lynn Stazzone, RN, MSN, NP, MSCN
Nurse Practitioner
Partners MS Center
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Boston, MA

Available Credit

  • 1.00 ANCC
  • 1.00 Attendance

Price

Cost:
$0.00
Please login or register to take this course.

Required Hardware/software

Processor Speed: 1.4 GHz P3

Memory: 256 MB RAM (20MB available)

Operating Systems Supported: Windows 2000/XP, MAC

Browsers Supported: Internet Explorer 5.5 or greater, Mozilla Firefox and Safari 3.525 or greater

Additional Requirements: Flash player 8.0 or greater, 800x600 Resolution or higher with 32-bit color

Connection Speed: 128 Kbps or better

Adobe Acrobat 6.0 or greater