Management of venous thromboembolism in pregnancy

Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is the major cause of maternal death in the UK, with recent trends showing an increase in the numbers of deaths. Under lying PTE is the problem of deep venous thrombosis (DVT). An appreciation o f risk factors, particularly, thrombophilia, and signs or symptoms suggesti ve of thromboembolism, coupled with objective diagnosis and treatment shoul d reduce mortality and morbidity. There are particular considerations with regard to the management of thrombosis in pregnancy, especially the use of anticoagulants. Low-molecular-weight heparins are now replacing unfractiona ted heparin for the treatment of DVT and PTE in pregnancy.