Treatment, diagnosis and prevention of pregnancy-associated VTE

Background: Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) is a leading cause of maternal death in the developed world. 1 Although a rare event, occurring in approximately 1-2 per 1,000 pregnancies, 2 every pregnant woman is potentially at risk, and every event is potentially fatal. The death of a mother is a devastating event, with far-reaching impact on an individual, societal and health systems level. Moreover, non-fatal consequences may be associated with significant short- and longterm morbidity. 3

Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of pregnancy-associated VTE (PA-VTE) should therefore be a priority for health services globally.