Podcast # 479: Clots and Pregnancy

Author:  Nick Hatch, MD

Educational Pearls:

• Pregnancy is a hypercoagulable state, which predisposes women to venous thromboembolism, but also elevates levels of circulating d-dimer
• A recent study evaluated the YEARS protocol in combination of adjusted d-dimer cutoffs in pregnant women to evaluate for DVT and PE
• Using this protocol, only 1 DVT was missed. No PE’s were missed.
• This protocol has growing evidence as an option in pregnant women in whom you must rule out a DVT/PE but more validating studies are likely necessary

References

van der Pol LM, Tromeur C, Bistervels IM, Ni Ainle F, van Bemmel T, Bertoletti L, Couturaud F, van Dooren YPA, Elias A, Faber LM, Hofstee HMA, van der Hulle T, Kruip MJHA, Maignan M, Mairuhu ATA, Middeldorp S, Nijkeuter M, Roy PM, Sanchez O, Schmidt J, Ten Wolde M, Klok FA, Huisman MV. Pregnancy-Adapted YEARS Algorithm for Diagnosis of Suspected Pulmonary Embolism. N Engl J Med. 2019 Mar 21;380(12):1139-1149. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1813865. PubMed PMID: 30893534.

Summarized by Will Dewispelaere, MS3 | Edited by Erik Verzemnieks, MD