Abstract
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a leading cause of maternal mortality. The risk of VTE in pregnant and postpartum women is ~ five times higher compared with non-pregnant women. There is a physiological tendency to a hypercoagulable state, from conception to the postpartum period. Several non-obstetric risk factors independently increase the risk of VTE. Since most signs and symptoms of VTE might mimic those of a normal pregnancy, a high index of suspicion is warranted to establish the diagnosis. D-dimer, ultrasonography and computed tomography pulmonary angiography are the primary tools for VTE diagnosis. Management mainly revolves around systemic anticoagulation with heparin. Advanced therapy options exist, but these can be considered for selected high-risk cases.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 62-74 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Minerva Medica |
Volume | 116 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 2025 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2024 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA.
Keywords
- Postpartum period
- Pregnancy
- Pulmonary embolism
- Venous thromboembolism
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine