A review of the use of CT pulmonary angiography in pregnant and postpartum women at an academic centre.

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common cause of maternal death during pregnancy and the puerperium yet data on its prevalence in middle-income countries is lacking.

Methods: We examined the medical records and CTPA (computed tomography pulmonary angiography) images of 67 women in an obstetric high care unit during pregnancy and the puerperium. We aimed to determine the prevalence of PE in a high-risk obstetric population undergoing CTPA, assess associated clinical features in this cohort, and determine the prevalence of alternative CT findings.