Introduction: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a condition with high morbidity and mortality rates and presents as the third leading cause of cardiovascular deaths, globally. During the antenatal period, the risk of VTE occurrence increases, therefore, in pregnant women at high-risk for VTE, the use of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) is recommended. This study aimed to investigate the indication-based administration of LMWH in pregnancy. Material and methods: This was a retrospective cohort study (2019-2022) conducted at the Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. All pregnant women at the first trimester of pregnancy were eligible. Their physical characteristics were recorded and information about their personal, familial, gynecological and obstetrical medical history was collected. By utilizing the above characteristics, a score of the risk of developing VTE during pregnancy was calculated for each woman, using the algorithm recommended by the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists. Results: In total, 2,716 pregnant women were included in the study. Of these, 149 (5.5%) received LMWH throughout their pregnancy with only 2 of them (0.1%) having appropriate indications. Of the women not prescribed LMWH, 2,567 (94.5%), none had an indication for LMWH administration. Notably, 495 (19.3%) women had a history of at least one miscarriage and 89 (59.7%) of them used LMWH, regardless of whether they had an indication or not. Conclusion: There was a high percentage of women with no indication for LMWH who, in fact, received this medication. Physicians should refrain their use following evaluation based on appropriate risk factors.
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