women s health issues
Thromboembolic Disorders During Pregnancy
Diagnosis
Doppler ultrasonography to check for blood clots in the legs Computed tomography to check for pulmonary embolism During pregnancy, if women have symptoms suggesting a blood clot, Doppler ultrasonography (used to evaluate blood flow) may be done to check the legs for clots. If pulmonary embolism is suspected, Diagnosis (CT) may be done to confirm the diagnosis. CT is done after a radiopaque contrast agent (which can be seen on x-rays) is injected in a vein. The contrast agent flows through blood vessels and outlines them. This procedure is called If the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism is still uncertain, a procedure called pulmonary angiography (angiography of the lung's blood vessels) is required. For this procedure, doctors make a small incision, typically in the groin but sometimes in the arm. Then they insert a thin, flexible tube (catheter) and thread it through blood vessels to an artery in a lung. When the catheter is in place, a radiopaque contrast agent is injected through the catheter to outline the blood vessels in the lungs, and x-rays are taken. After the baby is delivered, doctors may use CT with a contrast agent to check women for blood clots in the pelvis. 