This review highlights current diagnostic and management strategies for pregnancy-associated VTE, emphasizing low molecular weight heparin as the treatment of choice and noting significant gaps in prevention data.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism, is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Physiological changes that occur in a normal pregnancy increase the risk for VTE by 4-5-fold in the antepartum period and 30-60-fold in the immediate postpartum period. Compressive ultrasonography is the diagnostic test of choice for deep vein thrombosis. Both ventilation/perfusion scanning and computed tomography pulmonary angiography can reliably diagnose pulmonary embolism. Anticoagulation for a minimum of 3 months, typically with low molecular weight heparin, is the treatment of choice for pregnancy-associated VTE (PA-VTE). Despite the significant societal burden and potentially devastating consequences, there is a paucity of data surrounding the prevention of PA-VTE, resulting in major variations between international guidelines. This review will summarize the current recommendations for diagnosis, management, and prevention of PA-VTE.
Kilkenny et al. (Thu,) studied this question.