The Approach to Peripartum Management of Anticoagulation: A Multidisciplinary Survey

Objective: This study sought to determine whether there is practice variation in the treatment and prevention of acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) in pregnant patients, potentially to prioritize future studies.

Background: The risk of VTE during pregnancy is five-fold that of the non-pregnant state. Guidance is often lacking for the treatment and prophylaxis of VTE because there are few RCTs.

Methods: The study used a cross-sectional study design using a self-administered electronic questionnaire consisting of 11 case scenarios that were sent to hematologists, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, obstetricians and gynaecologists, and internal medicine specialists across Canada.

Results: A total of 254 participants responded to the survey and 193 (76%) completed the survey, 158 of whom indicated that they were involved in the decision to anticoagulate these patients. Anticoagulation of patients with superficial venous thrombosis during pregnancy, monitoring of low-molecular-weight heparin antepartum, and discontinuation of this agent at the time of delivery were the scenarios associated with the largest variability of responses. For the management of acute VTE antepartum, most participants favoured a once-daily regimen, although internists more so than obstetrics and gynaecology physicians (94.7% vs. 73.7%). Cesarean section was not perceived to be a procedure with a marked increased risk of thrombosis to warrant thromboprophylaxis because most physicians elected not to offer thromboprophylaxis for this scenario. However, obesity and severe preeclampsia with Cesarean section led to the predominant use of thromboprophylaxis, at 80.0% and 68.4%, respectively.

Conclusion: Prospective studies addressing peripartum management where significant discrepancies exist are warranted.