A woman who has to be admitted to hospital during pregnancy faces a massively increased risk of developing dangerous blood clots, researchers warn today.
British researchers say the risk of venous thromboembolism increases by 17 times when a pregnant woman is admitted to hospital – apart from when she goes in to give birth.
All hospital patients face a risk from blood clots – but pregnant women also face a small risk, affecting up to two pregnancies out of every 1,000.
The latest study warns that, combined, the risk is significantly increased.
Reporting in the British Medical Journal, the researchers say risk is especially high when a woman spends three or more days in hospital.
It was also high in the 28 days after discharge from hospital and was increased in late pregnancy and in women over the age of 35.
Researchers at Nottingham University and Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation Trust in London studied the details of more than 200,000 pregnant women over a 13 year period ending in 2010.
Led by Dr Alyshah Abdul Sultan, of Nottingham University, said the findings should help doctors decide whether to give pregnant women anti-clotting drugs in hospital.
They say: “To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the impact of antepartum hospitalisation on the incidence of VTE during pregnancy."
BMJ 8 November 2013 [abstract]
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