<h1>Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE)</h1>
<img src="https://admin.mumandbaby.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/3.4.4.jpg" alt="Woman's hand holding her leg below the knee" width="650" height="406" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3430" />
<h2>Are you at increased risk of developing a blood clot?</h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">After giving birth, women are at a slightly increased risk of developing blood clots in the veins in their legs, known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This risk is increased for roughly six weeks following birth.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">On rare occasions, these blood clots can become very large and travel in the body to the lungs. This is known as pulmonary embolism (PE) and can be very serious.</span>
<h2>Signs/symptoms:</h2>
<ul>
 	<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">pain/tenderness in the leg behind the knee or in the calf</span></li>
 	<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">feeling of heat in the affected area or a red discolouration of the skin</span></li>
 	<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">swelling of the affected area</span></li>
 	<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">a pulmonary embolism may cause shortness of breath and chest pain, which comes on suddenly and worsens with deep breaths, coughing or chest movement.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">If you have any of these symptoms you should speak to a health professional immediately, or attend your local A&amp;E department.</span>
<h2>Treatment</h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">These conditions are serious and will require urgent treatment in hospital with medications that prevent the clot from getting bigger and breaking off and travelling to another part of the body.</span>
<h2>Prevention:</h2>
<ul>
 	<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">keep mobile and rotate your ankles regularly</span></li>
 	<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">wear compression stockings if your midwife or doctor have advised you to do so</span></li>
 	<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">consider taking short walks when you feel up to it</span></li>
 	<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">stay well hydrated</span></li>
 	<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">avoid sitting/lying down for prolonged periods i.e. in a car/on a train.</span></li>
</ul>
<span>Some women will be prescribed injections to self-administer at home to reduce the risk of blood clots if they are considered to be at a higher risk of developing them.</span>

<span>Staff use a venous thromboembolism risk scoring system to determine each women's risk. These include caesarean section, postpartum haemorrhage, pre-eclampsia and preterm birth, or any family or medical history that makes the risk higher.</span> 

<span>Before you are discharged you will be shown how to administer the pre-filled syringe and safely dispose of the sharp into a sharps container.</span>

<span>If you have been prescribed injections it is very important to complete the course – and to dispose of the needles safely. Your midwife will explain this to you before you go home.</span>
<div data-cat="relatedlinks" class="relatedlinks">

<a href="https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/related-conditions/complications/deep-vein-thrombosis/" type="nhs">Blood clots in pregnancy</a>

<a href="https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/patients/patient-leaflets/reducing-the-risk-of-venous-thrombosis-in-pregnancy-and-after-birth/." type="rcog">Reducing the risk of DVT</a>

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