The Thrombo-embolic Disease in Pre-eclampsia

Summary

On the basis von 19756 obstetrical cases reviewed with regard to the frequency of thrombo-embolism it was found that post partal thrombo-embolism occurs about four times more frequently in late toxemia of pregnancy than in non preeclamptic obstetrical cases. There were 95 cases of puerperal thrombo-embolism (58 in superficial and 37 in deep seated veins of the leg) among the 2077 cases of late toxemia of pregnancy, which means a frequency of 4.6 per cent against a total frequency of thrombo-embolism of 1.2 per cent among all the obstetrical cases reviewed. Possible causes for a thrombotic process in pre-eclampsia are dicussed: placental thromboplastins, high concentration of plasma fibrinogen and other coagulation factors, aggregation and sedimentation of erythrocytes, retardation of the venous flow.

Of the anticoagulants heparin is recommended as the most suitable agent in prophylactic treatment of thrombosis in late toxemia of pregnancy.

 

• References

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