Clinical predictors of pulmonary embolism in pregnancy and immediate postpartum period: a retrospective, analytical study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Although pulmonary embolism (PE) is one of the leading causes of death in pregnancy and postpartum, it has low risk of adverse outcome if diagnosed early and treated appropriately. Ventilation-perfusion scanning (VQ scan) or computed tomography pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) are widely used to confirm or diagnose PE, however it carries risks to the mother and the fetus. Up to date, there is no validated clinical predicting tool that can be used in pregnancy and postpartum, thus clinicians face a challenge when suspecting PE in pregnancy and postpartum. Furthermore, the lack of medical resources in low resource environments contributes to the delay of investigations and diagnosis of PE. This study aimed to describe clinical markers for suspicious PE amongst pregnant mothers and immediate postpartum and to design a practical, clinical tool for accurate diagnosis of PE peripartum in our population.