[Diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary embolism during pregnancy]

To study high risk factors, clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE) during pregnancy and postpartum.

Two patients with pulmonary embolism were reported retrospectively.

The 1st case was a pregnant woman with congenital heart disease at 39 weeks gestation, who underwent uneventful cesarean section (CS) because of heart disease, but she had tachycardia, tachypnea, cyanosis, dyspnea suddenly on the 10 days after CS and died immediately after the onset of above symptoms, the diagnosis of PE was highly suspected clinically. The 2nd case was a pregnant women with twin gestation, at 35 weeks, because of severe prenatal myocardiopathy, cesarean section was performed, Maternal death occurred suddenly during the surgery. The diagnosis of PE was confirmed by autopsy.

The maternal mortality of PE during pregnancy and postpartum is very high, whenever there is any suspects, the objective examination for PE should be started early in order to get the chance to give anticoagulant therapy.