Venous Thromboembolism Risk Assessment Models in Obstetrics: A Review of Current Practices and Future Directions

Pregnancy is a major risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE) and its associated complications. The hypercoagulable state in both the antenatal and postnatal periods contributes to thromboembolism and continues to be a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. The non-specific signs and symptoms of VTE in pregnancy and the lack of specific Risk Assessment Models (RAMs) propose a diagnostic challenge in the obstetric population. This review aims to discuss and compare existing RAMs and highlights the important challenges of using established RAMs in obstetric patients. It also emphasizes the importance of enhancing and individualizing RAMs in obstetrics to improve maternal healthcare. KEY POINTS: · VTE is a major complication of pregnancy, associated with increased maternal morbidity and mortality.. · VTE RAMs lack sensitivity and specificity in stratifying VTE risk in pregnancy.. · Validating VTE RAMs in the obstetric population aims to improve maternal outcomes..