Correlation of platelet indices with severity of pre-eclampsia: a prospective study from central India

Background: Although it is generally accepted that the haemoglobin concentration decreases and white cell count increases during normal pregnancy, there is less accord regarding changes in platelet indices. Present study was performed to know the relation of platelet indices with normal pregnancy, preeclampsia and severity of pre-eclampsia.Methods: Hundred pregnant women were studied at Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, PCMS and RC, Bhopal after dividing them in two Group N (n=50, normal pregnant women) and Group P (n = 50, pre-eclampsia patient). Platelet indices including platelet count mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width were estimated in all the patients. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS ver. 20 software. Level of significance was assessed at 5%.Results: In Group P [34 (68%)] and Group N [21 (42%)] most of the patients had platelet count of <2 lac respectively. Whereas Group P, 16 (32%) patients had thrombocytopenia (platelet count between 50-1.5 lac) where as in Group N, none of the patients had lower platelet count. Most of the patients (55%) in study cohort had PDW of 15 fl out of that half of the patients in Group N had PWD as 15 fl whereas in Group P 60% had PDW value as 15 fl. Out of 50 preeclampsia patients 24 (48%) were of severe type, out of which 54% had platelet count <1.5 lac, 83% had PDW as 15-16fl, and 54% had MPV in the range of 10-11 fl.Conclusions: Platelet count decreases while MPV and PDW increase as pregnancy advances, and these changes are more pronounced in preeclampsia than normotensive pregnancy