Understanding Venous Complications In Pregnancy & Puerperium: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

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Venous Complications In Pregnancy & Puerperium

by Alike Medical Team ∙ Updated on June 13, 2023

Additional names

This group contains additional names: - Postpartum Deep Vein Thrombosis - Varicose Veins in Legs in Pregnancy - Varicose Veins of Vulva and Perineum in Pregnancy - Antepartum Deep Vein Thrombosis - Venous Complication in Pregnancy - Thrombophlebitis in Pregnancy

General

Pregnant women or women during the puerperium have higher risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). A thrombus is a blood clot that forms in a vein, while an embolus is anything that moves through the blood vessels. When the embulos reaches a small blood vessel it gets stucked. This results in cessation of blood flow. An embolus is often a small piece of a blood clot that breaks off (thromboembolus). Venous thromboembolism is a disorder that includes both ep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). DVT occurs when a blood clot forms a deep vein, typically in the lower leg, thigh or pelvis. PE is when a clot breaks and travels to the lung by the bloodstream. The incidence of VTE is increased throughout all trimesters of pregnancy but is highest during the postpartum period. Factors that may further augment the risk include a prior history of VTE, hospitalization for an acute illness or cesarean delivery, and the presence of an inherited thrombophilia.

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Signs & symptoms

Signs and symptoms of DVT may include swelling, redness and pain but sometimes patients do not have symptoms at all. PE symptoms include sudden chest pain and shortness of breath.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of DVT may include duplex ultrasonography, D-dimer blood test - pregnant women have different reference value ranges, according to different trimesters. The use of additional imaging tests will be determined according to the degree of suspicion, taking into account the safety of the woman and the fetus.

Treatment

The standard treatment of VTE in pregnancy is anticoagulation with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), which like unfractionated heparin does not cross the placenta and is not teratogenic.Depending on the severity of the VTE, additional treatments including thrombolysis, thrombectomy, inferior vena cava filter placement, or venous stenting may be used.

Note

☝ We provide information on prescription and over-the-counter medicines, diagnosis, procedures and lab tests. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

National Institutes of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ MedlinePluse ∙ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

☝ All information has been reviewed by certified physicians from Alike

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