Heartbeat: Maternity lead the way on VTE assessments

February 14, 2019

Our maternity service has been making fantastic progress with venous thromboembolism (VTE) assessments culminating in the organisation collectively achieving a 95 per cent threshold in December.

VTE is a condition in which a blood clot forms, most often in the deep veins of the leg, groin or arm (known as deep vein thrombosis) and travels in the circulation, lodging in the lungs (known as pulmonary embolism,). Pulmonary embolism is one of the most common direct causes of maternal death in the UK. Together, these are known as VTE which is a dangerous and potentially life threatening medical condition if not detected or treated.

National reports from the confidential enquiries into maternal deaths have highlighted past failures in recognising risk factors for VTE and using adequate prophylaxis, particularly as the population of childbearing women has become more complex.

Pregnancy is associated with a tenfold increase in VTE, with the immediate postnatal period being the time where the risk is at its highest. Therefore all pregnant women who are admitted require VTE assessment to be performed within 24 hours of admission so any additional risks can be highlighted and ensure the appropriate care is planned and implemented.

Claire Cushing, M2 Ward Manager appreciates the importance of VTE assessments in caring appropriately for our pregnant women and new mothers.

She said: “It is crucial that we achieve 100 per cent compliance so that we can ensure all women have had the relevant risk assessment performed and the required treatment provided, if needed.

“When it was announced we had reached 95 per cent in December I was delighted but we must make sure we continue and strive to achieve 100 per cent throughout 2019.”

She added: “There have been a few changes in the process of performing VTE with the system we use in maternity, therefore effective communication has been required to ensure all colleagues feel confident in performing VTE assessments.

“Additional training has been provided to ensure our multi-disciplinary team are all working to the same standard to achieve our current VTE percentage.”