Deep vein thrombosis in pregnancy and the puerperium: a comprehensive review.

Although uncommon during pregnancy and the postpartum period, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and its sequela, pulmonary thromboembolism, remain leading sources of maternal mortality and morbidity. The majority of literature concerning DVT in pregnancy and the postpartum period exists in the medical journals, with only a small amount in nursing journals. This article provides the nursing community a comprehensive review of literature concerning the incidence of both DVT and pulmonary embolism in pregnancy and the postpartum period, identification of risk factors, the effectiveness of available screening and diagnostic tools, and finally, options for treatment and prophylaxis.