{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,2]],"date-time":"2026-03-02T15:30:48Z","timestamp":1772465448506,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"South African Medical Association NPC","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,2]],"date-time":"2026-03-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772409600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["S Afr Med J"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background. Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a leading cause of death in pregnant and postpartum women.\nObjective. To evaluate the clinical presentation, management and outcomes of pregnancy-related PE managed by a multidisciplinary team.\nMethods. A retrospective review was conducted of pregnant and postpartum women diagnosed with PE between 2018 and 2024 at a tertiary hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. Pretest probability scores (pregnancy-adapted YEARS and Geneva) were applied in a subgroup with D-dimers available.\nResults. Seventy-seven women were included: 33 with antepartum and 44 with postpartum PE. The median (interquartile range) age was 29 (9) years, and most were of black African ethnicity. PE risk factors were present in 85% of antepartum and 96% of postpartum cases. Women with antepartum PE more frequently presented with chest pain, shortness of breath and palpitations (p&lt;0.05). Pretest probability scores were assessed in a subgroup with D-dimers available. Based on the pregnancy-adapted YEARS and Geneva scores, imaging would have been required to rule out PE in 87.8% and 73.5% of cases, respectively. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography was the preferred diagnostic modality in 74.0%. Most women (97.4%) were treated as inpatients, and 57% required management in the intensive care and\/or high care units. The median length of hospital stay was 14 (8) days. Low-molecular-weight heparin was the most frequently prescribed anticoagulant, with a median treatment duration of 3 (1) months. The live birth rate was 84.4%. One maternal death occurred due to sepsis, unrelated to venous thromboembolism. Antepartum\/secondary postpartum major bleeding and primary postpartum major bleeding occurred in 6.5% and 3.9%, respectively.\nConclusion. Pregnancy-associated PE managed by a multidisciplinary team was associated with favourable maternal and fetal outcomes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.7196\/samj.2026.v116i2.3722","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,2]],"date-time":"2026-03-02T14:32:36Z","timestamp":1772461956000},"page":"e3722","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Pregnancy-related pulmonary embolism: Clinical characteristics, management and outcomes in a South African academic hospital"],"prefix":"10.7196","author":[{"given":"N","family":"Zulu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"J","family":"Zamparini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"H","family":"Rhemtula","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1534-2930","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"E","family":"Schapkaitz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"4425","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,2]]},"container-title":["South African Medical Journal"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/samajournals.co.za\/index.php\/samj\/article\/download\/3722\/1732","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/samajournals.co.za\/index.php\/samj\/article\/download\/3722\/1732","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,2]],"date-time":"2026-03-02T14:32:38Z","timestamp":1772461958000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/samajournals.co.za\/index.php\/samj\/article\/view\/3722"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,2]]},"references-count":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7196\/samj.2026.v116i2.3722","relation":{},"ISSN":["2078-5135","0256-9574"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2078-5135","type":"electronic"},{"value":"0256-9574","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,2]]}}}