Pregnancy Alert: DVT Forms in Left Leg
Reported March 31, 2010
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in pregnant patients is more likely to occur on the left side, and in particular in the left leg.
“In nonpregnant patients, DVT, the formation of a blood clot, is most common in the calf veins,” Dr. Wee-Shian Chan, of Women’s College Hospital in Ontario, Canada, and coauthors wrote. “This review was conducted to see whether this is also the case for pregnant women in order to limit diagnostic procedures, such as x-rays, because of the effects on the fetus.”
The authors reviewed 1,098 papers and found only six that met the inclusion criteria. Despite the limited number of studies in this area, researchers have found left-sided DVT and proximal DVT are common in pregnancy. The increased prevalence of isolated proximal vein DVT is clinically important because of the high risk of pulmonary embolism.
Authors conclude that until prospective diagnostic studies are available for pregnant patients, it may be prudent to conduct a routine examination of the iliofemoral system when a pregnant patient presents with suspected deep vein thrombosis.
SOURCE: Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), March 30, 2010