Haematocrit Value in Preeclampsia

Abstract

Objective(s): To assess the association between the haematocrit value and severity of preeclampsia.

Materials & Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in the department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka during the period of January 2012 to December 2013. Total of 100 patients were studied and they were divided into two groups group-A and group-B. Fifty preeclamptic patients were included in the group-A and 50 normal pregnant women were included in the group-B.

Results: Majority of preeclamptic women (68%) and normal pregnant women (76%) were in the age group of 20-30 years with the mean ages of group-A and group-B subjects were 26.50±5.71 and 26.26±4.91 years respectively. Eighty six percent of group-A and 70% of group-B women were of lower socioeconomic status. Majority of the study subjects (74% of group-A and 80% of group-B) were housewife. More than half (54%) of the preeclamptic women were primigravid and 60% of normal pregnant women were multigravid. Among the preeclamptic subjects 16 (32%) had mild hypertension (DBP<110mmHg) and 34 (68%) had severe hypertension (DBP ? 110 mmHg). Out of 50 preeclamptic subjects 45 (90%) had severe proteinuria (+++) and only 5 (10%) had moderate (++) proteinuria.The mean haematocrit value of preeclamptic patients was 34.881±3.03 and that of normal pregnant women was 31.94±1.2. It was statistically significant (P value 0.001). The mean haematocrit value of normal pregnant, mild and severe preeclamptic women were 31.94±1.2, 33.31±2.57 and 35.62±2.95 respectively. It was also statistically significant (P value 0.001).

Conclusion: This study shows that haematocrit value of preeclamptic patients is significantly higher compared to that of the normal pregnant women (P<0.05). There is a strong association of increasead haematocrit and preeclampsia.

Bangladesh J Obstet Gynaecol, 2015; Vol. 30(2) : 80-85