Venous thromboembolism during pregnancy. Clinical suspicion warrants evaluation.

Objective: To determine the incidence, signs, symptoms and clinical outcomes of venous thromboembolism (VTE) during pregnancy.

Study Design: A retrospective review was conducted from 1997 to 2001 including women with a diagnosis or suspicion of VTE during pregnancy. Demographics and clinical characteristics of patients with a suspicion for VTE were reviewed.

Results: Of 70 patients assessed for evidence of a VTE, 25.7% (n = 18) had confirmatory diagnostic testing. There was no difference in the clinical signs or symptoms between groups with a pulmonary embolism (PE) compared to those without a PE. For those patients with negative diagnostic testing (n = 52), an alternative diagnosis was confirmed in 55.8%. Of the patients with positive diagnostic testing, 30% had a concurrent condition contributing to their pulmonary symptoms.

Conclusion: Lack of definitive signs and symptoms of thromboembolic disease during pregnancy warrants complete evaluation of patients clinically suspected of having VTE.