The Non Pharmacological 3: An In-depth Review and Recommendations for Venous Thromboembolism Prevention in the Peripartum Period in Low and Middle Income Countries

Abstract

Venous thromboembolism is a significant direct cause of maternal mortality worldwide. Most women who suffer from venous thromboembolism have identifiable risk factors and therefore it is considered a largely preventable condition. There are 2 main ways of preventing this, pharmacological and non-pharmacological. The main pharmacological means of preventing venous thromboembolism include the use of low molecular weight heparin. This is an expensive method and it is sometimes not available in most parts of low and middle income countries due to economic push and pull factors. Even when it is available, majority of the women are unable to afford it, and those who can, get inadequate treatment in form of inappropriate dose or duration of treatment. We shed light on the 3 non-pharmacological methods of prevention of venous thromboembolism and provide recommendations on how it can be deployed in the peripartum period in low and middle income countries to maximise its potential benefit.