For the study, researchers conducted an analysis of 60 authoritative studies related to postpartum VTE outcomes. The analysis revealed a fourfold increase for VTE in women who underwent C-sections during child birth. Researchers also found thromboprophylaxis, a preventative measure that can be used to prevent VTE, is rarely used post-C-section.
“Thromboprophylaxis seems widely underutilized in the United States. It is prescribed in 25 percent of women following C-section,” said lead investigator Marc Blondon, MD, division of angiology and hemostasis, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva Switzerland. “This scenario may arise from a lack of recognition by care providers of the risk of VTE following C-section.”
Postpartum VTE can lead to pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis. C-Sections are now used in roughly one-third of births in both Europe and the United States.
While global maternal mortality is trending downward, recent evidence suggests maternal deaths are on the rise in the U.S.
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