Recommendations issued to prevent VTE in maternal patients

(HealthDay)—The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and the National Perinatal Association have developed safety recommendations aimed at preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE) in maternal patients.

A panel of experts, brought together by the Patient-Physician Alliance for Health & Safety, developed VTE safety recommendations for prevention of VTE.

The safety recommendations include four steps: (1) patients should be evaluated for VTE risk using an easy-to-use automated scoring system; (2) depending on whether the mother is antepartum or postpartum, the recommended prophylaxis regimen should be provided; (3) the patient should be reassessed every 24 hours or upon occurrence of a significant event such as surgery; and (4) upon hospital discharge, the mother should be provided with appropriate VTE prevention education.

"The risks of VTE are four to five times higher for pregnant women than for non-pregnant women," MaryAnne Laffin, N.P., immediate past president of the National Perinatal Association, said in a statement. "For the safety of pregnant women, the National Perinatal Association therefore encourages all hospitals to adopt these VTE safety recommendations."