Venous thromboembolism (VTE; deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism) remains a leading cause of death in pregnant and recently delivered women. Surviving mothers may have long-term disability. If VTE risk factors are identified, then preventative measures may be put in place . These interventions can be potentially life-saving. If a pregnant woman or recently delivered mother develops a blood clot then doctors from many different specialities collaborate to plan the patient’s care together.
For all these reasons, it is very important that pregnant women are aware and educated about VTE during and after pregnancy. Patients can participate in their own care and self-advocate by having a knowledge of the baseline risks and an understanding of the factors that can increase this risk. These factors may be present from the beginning of pregnancy or before (for example, family history of thrombosis, genetic blood conditions that increase thrombosis risk and certain medical conditions) or may arise during pregnancy, sometimes in the late stages or at delivery (for example, preeclampsia, operative delivery and infection).
We aim to host a one-day educational event on pregnancy-associated thrombosis comprising lectures, small-group workshops and interactive learning modules aimed at pregant women. Our faculty will consist of patient advocates and care providers of different specialities including medical, midwifery, physiotherapy and pharmacy colleagues. We will also compile a booklet that will help patients to recognize if they have risk factors and will help them to understand what to expect from risk factor assessment during and after their pregnancy.
