Retrospective Analysis of Hematological Parameters in Covid Positive Pregnancy

Abstract

The newly identified SARS-CoV-2 virus and its ongoing implicated COVID-19 pandemic started off as pneumonia of unknown aetiology in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Certain laboratory values that may be considered deranged in non pregnant states are normal physiological changes in pregnancy. An understanding of the normal haematological and immunologic parameters in pregnancy is necessary for the interpretation of COVID-19 severity. Considering the COVID-19 infection is still new, little is known about the clinical course of the disease in pregnancy. This is a retrospective observational study undertaken in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Saveetha Medical College Hospital, Chennai, India, from April to November 2020. Out of the 50 women in the study, 19 women were anaemic with haemoglobin <11, accounting for 38% of the study population. A neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio greater than 4.5 was observed in 44% of the population. Thrombocytopenia was present in 12% of the population. D-dimer greater than 1000 was found in 12% of the study population. All of our patients were asymptomatic, had good maternal and fetal outcomes even though derangement of inflammatory markers were noted. The immunological changes of pregnancy make pregnant women more susceptible to pathogens. Though our patients had instances suggestive of critical prognosis like an increased neutrophil-lymphocyte-ratio and affirmative acute phase reactants and inflammatory markers, they were asymptomatic (category BNH) and stable in room air. However, further analysis of laboratory parameters and their correlation to clinical scenarios in the second wave of COVID19 infection is warranted.