Obstetrics & gynaecology · UKMLA & AKT
VTE in pregnancy and puerperium
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test, covering how to recognise this condition. The full SA Note notes add investigations, management and complications, with practice questions on this topic.
Key high-yield points
- VTE complicates ~1 in 1000 pregnancies; PE is a leading direct cause of maternal death in the UK
- Puerperium (6 weeks postpartum) carries the HIGHEST risk - 20-80x higher than non-pregnant women, higher than any individual trimester
- Left-sided DVT more common in pregnancy due to left iliac vein compression
The puerperium carries a HIGHER VTE risk than any trimester of pregnancy - a classic exam discriminator. Peak risk is the first week postpartum, especially after caesarean section.
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