1.0 Venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains one of the main direct causes of maternal death.

The risk of antenatal VTE is four to five folds higher in pregnant women than in non-pregnant women of the same age.

Venous thromboembolism can occur at any stage of pregnancy, but the puerperium is the time of highest risk, with estimates of relative risk of approximately 20-fold

Diagnosis of Venous Thromboembolism in Pregnancy

• Any woman with symptoms or signs suggestive of VTE should have objective testing immediately. Treatment with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) should be given until the diagnosis is excluded by tests, unless treatment is strongly contraindicated.

• If Deep Vein thrombosis (DVT)remains untreated, 15–24% of these patients will develop Pulmonary embolism (PE).

• PE during pregnancy may be fatal in almost 15% of patients.

1.1 Investigations to diagnose Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)

• Compression duplex ultrasound should be undertaken where there is clinical suspicion of DVT

• If ultrasound is negative and there is a low level of clinical suspicion, anticoagulant treatment can be discontinued.