A Prospective Study on Platelet Counts – APrognostic Marker to Predict the Feto-Maternal Outcome in Pre-eclampsia and Eclampsia

Abstract

Background: Hypertensive disorders represent the most common medical complication of pregnancy affecting 7-15 % of all gestations and a leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality especially in cases of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. Out of all the haematological changes that occur in pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, thrombocytopenia is the most common haematological abnormality. Assessment of platelet count is a simple, cheap and relatively sensitive method to know the prognosis and to predict the feto-maternal outcome in pregnancy complicated by pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. Methods:This was a prospective study conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Pacific Medical College and Hospital, Udaipur over a period of 1 year which included 50 cases of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia and 50 cases of normotension in 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Results: Total 50 cases of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia were studied. Platelet count was significantly reduced with the severity of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia and it reflects feto-maternal outcome. Conclusions:Estimation of platelet count can be a reliable, rapid, easy and cheap method for early detection and assessment of severity at earlier gestational age which can help us to improve fetomaternal outcome.