Key result
Thrombolytic therapy in 231 pregnant women with severe thrombotic complications was associated with no maternal deaths from hemorrhage, 6 major bleeding events, and 10 fetal losses, suggesting a relatively low complication rate.
Why the study?
Does thrombolytic therapy safely improve outcomes in pregnant women with severe thrombotic complications?
Systematic Review (n=231)
Does thrombolytic therapy safely improve outcomes in pregnant women with severe thrombotic complications?
This systematic review of case reports suggests that thrombolytic therapy in pregnancy has a relatively low complication rate and should be considered for appropriate life-threatening indications similar to non-pregnant patients, despite the lack of high-quality trial data.
May support thrombolysis for life-threatening thrombosis in pregnancy; leaves open need for prospective trials to confirm safety.
The relative hypercoagulable state of pregnancy leads to an increased risk of thrombotic complications, of which some may be life-threatening or medically devastating. In the non-pregnant patient, the current guidelines suggest thrombolysis as the primary treatment in acute ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction when percutaneous intervention is unavailable, certain cases of mechanical valve thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism with hemodynamic compromise or shock. Given that clinical trial data regarding thrombolytic use in pregnant women are absent due to exclusion, the goal of this review is to summarize the available published data regarding the use of thrombolytic agents and subsequent outcomes and complications in pregnant women. Overall, the use of thrombolytic agents in pregnancy is associated with a relatively low reported complication rate, especially given the severe medical conditions for which they are indicated. The data would suggest that thrombolysis should be considered for appropriate indications similar to that of non-pregnant patients. However, caution should be exercised when drawing conclusions regarding maternal and fetal safety, given the lack of controlled clinical trials including pregnant women and the nature of the weak evidence level of the cumulative data presented in this review.
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Eric Gartman (2013) conducted a systematic review in Thrombotic complications during pregnancy (DVT, PE, acute stroke, mechanical cardiac valve thrombosis, acute MI) (n=231). Thrombolytic therapy was evaluated on Maternal and fetal complications (bleeding, death). Thrombolytic therapy in 231 pregnant women with severe thrombotic complications was associated with no maternal deaths from hemorrhage, 6 major bleeding events, and 10 fetal losses, suggesting a relatively low complication rate.
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