ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an international consensus statement for prevention and treatment of venous thrombo-embolism. The annual venous thrombo-embolism incidence is about 1–2:1000, of which two-thirds are deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and one-third pulmonary embolism (PE). Two-thirds of DVTs occur ante-partum, distributed equally throughout all three trimesters, and 80% are in the left lower limb. In contrast, 40%–60% of pregnancyrelated PEs occur at 4–6 weeks post-partum. Risk factors have been defined by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Rudolph Virchow, German pathologist, finally described the understanding that 'a venous thrombus can break loose from its origin, travel through the blood stream, and involve the vessels of other organs'. Some 25% of PEs present with sudden death, most often within 30 minutes of onset of symptoms. PE is responsible for 10% of in-hospital deaths, and many of these are preventable with prophylaxis.
