Maternal venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a rare but life-threatening complication from blood clots for pregnant and postpartum women, and accounts for nearly 10% of all maternal deaths. All women need to be assessed throughout pregnancy and postpartum to identify those at high risk who may benefit from pharmacological thromboprophylaxis. The California Toolkit to Improve Maternal Health Care Response to Maternal Venous Thromboembolism introduces user-friendly guidelines for maternity care clinicians to implement in clinic and hospital settings.

The goal of the Toolkit is to encourage and facilitate systematic implementation of VTE risk assessment in California maternity units. This Toolkit addresses the controversial issue of expanding pharmacologic criteria, making specific prophylaxis recommendations in an effort to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.

The VTE Toolkit is consistent with the National Partnership for Maternal Safety (NPMS) VTE bundle and the Safe Motherhood Initiative at American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecologists District II. The antepartum outpatient and postpartum extended duration VTE prophylaxis strategies as presented represent a consensus summary of ACOG and the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) guidelines.

To download the toolkit, please visit CMQCC’s website or the California Department of Public Health, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division‘s website.

A public information webinar will be held Thursday, April 12 at 12:00 PM pacific standard time. Pre-registration is required.