Signs of a blood clot: go in, do not wait
The most important paragraph in this tool.
About 3 in 1,000 women develop a clot after a cesarean, and the risk is highest in the first weeks at home. Clots in the lung can kill quickly and are among the leading preventable causes of maternal death.
Go to an emergency department now if you have
- Pain, swelling, warmth or redness in one calf or thigh, especially one side only
- Sudden shortness of breath
- Chest pain, especially worse with a deep breath
- Coughing up blood
- A racing heart with lightheadedness
Where this comes from:
309. Blondon M, Casini A, Hoppe KK, Boehlen F, Righini M, Smith NL. Risks of venous thromboembolism after cesarean sections: a meta-analysis. Chest. 2016;150(3):572-596.
310. Pacheco LD, Saade G, Metz TD. Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Consult Series #51: thromboembolism prophylaxis for cesarean delivery. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2020;223(2):B11-B17.
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This page is educational. It supports the conversation with your own clinicians. It is not consent to any treatment, and it cannot assess you. If you are worried about a symptom now, see urgent warning signs.