THROMBOSIS PROPHYLAXIS AFTER TREATMENT DURING PREGNANCY

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is not a rare occurrence during pregnancy a nd puerperium due to changes in the coagulation mechanism. Eighteen ca ses with DVT during pregnancy are presented here. All of them received subcutaneous heparin for two weeks at a dose adjusted so as to prolon g the activated partial thromboplastin time, or plasma recalcification time, to twice that of normal controls. Treatment continued with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), once daily subcutaneously, for the du ration of pregnancy and for one month postpartum. All women went into labor uneventfully, except for one who had a missed abortion during th e 10th week. No side-effects were observed. LMWH has some advantages c ompared with standard heparin, which make it the treatment of choice f or the prevention of thromboembolic events in pregnant women. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.