The increased risk of blood clots in pregnant mothers is the focus of a new podcast from the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS).
The podcast features Lisa Enslow, the nurse educator for the Women's Health and Ambulatory Care Services at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut.
Preventing blood clots in pregnant mothers poses significant healthcare challenges, with the risk of blood clots in pregnant mothers almost ten times more likely than a non-pregnant woman.
These patient safety risks increase for pregnant mothers who are obese. In the US, more than two-thirds of adults are obese.
"Pregnant women are at a significantly higher risk than the general public for developing a blood clot simply because of the mechanisms that are in place to help them prevent hemorrhaging," said Enslow.
"So, our pregnant patients really need a lot more risk assessment during their hospitalization and even after discharge. If a blood clot is not detected or treated, it may become dislodged and travel up into the lung and that can create even more problems for the mom."
In the podcast, Enslow discussed a case of a super morbidly obese pregnant mother. This mother had a BMI (body mass index) of 67. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal.
Four keys for managing the healthcare risk in obese pregnant mothers are identified during the podcast, available here: http://youtu.be/Um2BKewEWRg
PPAHS, Lisa Enslow, US
