Pregnancy-related venous thromboembolism risk perception and prevention in risk-averse times – significant change required: A commentary

Laura Magee; Roopen Arya; Clare Boag; Luci Buxton; Matthew Coleman; Fizzah Jivraj; Rebecca Scott; Kayleigh S. Sheen; Sergio A. Silverio; Peter von Dadelszen

Pregnancy-related venous thromboembolism risk perception and prevention in risk-averse times – significant change required: A commentary

Laura Magee^*, Roopen Arya, Clare Boag, Luci Buxton, Matthew Coleman, Fizzah Jivraj, Rebecca Scott, Kayleigh S. Sheen, Sergio A. Silverio, Peter von Dadelszen

^*Corresponding author for this work

Women & Children's Health

King's College Hospital

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Between 2020 and 2022 in the United Kingdom (UK), there were 45 maternal deaths from venous thromboembolism (VTE), out of more than two million maternities. This occurred despite extensive risk assessment and prescribing of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) thromboprophylaxis, alongside clinicians’ overestimate of risk and commitment to the cause. Whilst every maternal death is a tragedy, the challenge ahead is immense - to identify, in an efficient and consistent way, those few women at risk of life-threatening thrombosis, and then minimise that risk with a cost-effective therapy that is acceptable to pregnant and postpartum women, and does not do more harm than good. We propose a way forward.

Original language	English
Journal	BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Early online date	22 May 2025
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 22 May 2025

Keywords

Venous thromboembolism
haematology
maternity services
risk perception

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Cite this

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title = "Pregnancy-related venous thromboembolism risk perception and prevention in risk-averse times – significant change required: A commentary",

abstract = "Between 2020 and 2022 in the United Kingdom (UK), there were 45 maternal deaths from venous thromboembolism (VTE), out of more than two million maternities. This occurred despite extensive risk assessment and prescribing of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) thromboprophylaxis, alongside clinicians{\textquoteright} overestimate of risk and commitment to the cause. Whilst every maternal death is a tragedy, the challenge ahead is immense - to identify, in an efficient and consistent way, those few women at risk of life-threatening thrombosis, and then minimise that risk with a cost-effective therapy that is acceptable to pregnant and postpartum women, and does not do more harm than good. We propose a way forward.",

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author = "Laura Magee and Roopen Arya and Clare Boag and Luci Buxton and Matthew Coleman and Fizzah Jivraj and Rebecca Scott and Sheen, {Kayleigh S.} and Silverio, {Sergio A.} and {von Dadelszen}, Peter",

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T1 - Pregnancy-related venous thromboembolism risk perception and prevention in risk-averse times – significant change required

T2 - A commentary

AU - Magee, Laura

AU - Arya, Roopen

AU - Boag, Clare

AU - Buxton, Luci

AU - Coleman, Matthew

AU - Jivraj, Fizzah

AU - Scott, Rebecca

AU - Sheen, Kayleigh S.

AU - Silverio, Sergio A.

AU - von Dadelszen, Peter

PY - 2025/5/22

Y1 - 2025/5/22

N2 - Between 2020 and 2022 in the United Kingdom (UK), there were 45 maternal deaths from venous thromboembolism (VTE), out of more than two million maternities. This occurred despite extensive risk assessment and prescribing of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) thromboprophylaxis, alongside clinicians’ overestimate of risk and commitment to the cause. Whilst every maternal death is a tragedy, the challenge ahead is immense - to identify, in an efficient and consistent way, those few women at risk of life-threatening thrombosis, and then minimise that risk with a cost-effective therapy that is acceptable to pregnant and postpartum women, and does not do more harm than good. We propose a way forward.

AB - Between 2020 and 2022 in the United Kingdom (UK), there were 45 maternal deaths from venous thromboembolism (VTE), out of more than two million maternities. This occurred despite extensive risk assessment and prescribing of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) thromboprophylaxis, alongside clinicians’ overestimate of risk and commitment to the cause. Whilst every maternal death is a tragedy, the challenge ahead is immense - to identify, in an efficient and consistent way, those few women at risk of life-threatening thrombosis, and then minimise that risk with a cost-effective therapy that is acceptable to pregnant and postpartum women, and does not do more harm than good. We propose a way forward.

KW - Venous thromboembolism

KW - haematology

KW - maternity services

KW - risk perception

M3 - Article

SN - 1470-0328

JO - BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

JF - BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

ER -

Pregnancy-related venous thromboembolism risk perception and prevention in risk-averse times – significant change required: A commentary

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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