Awareness of patients who undergo cesarean section about venous thromboembolism prophylaxis

Abstract

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a potentially life-threatening condition and the most well-known cause of postpartum maternal death, especially in patients undergoing cesarean section (CS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of awareness of VTE among patients who undergo CS. This study was cross-sectional, involving 230 patients who underwent CS at a major university hospital. A validated standardized questionnaire was used to determine the awareness of VTE among CS patients. Approximately 46% of the patients were aware of DVT, and 18.7% were aware of PE. Most patients recognized obesity or immobility as risk factors of DVT, and 22.6% of them recognized CS as a risk factor for DVT. Only 25.4% recognized pregnancy as a risk factor for DVT. The level of patient knowledge about both DVT and PE were not affected by parity. The study showed that most patients who underwent CS were not aware of VTE as a complication of CS and the factors that may increase its risk, which could reflect inadequate patient counseling/education on the part of healthcare professionals.