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Prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time in pregnancy: a brief report
Shahid Ahmed1, Linda A Russo, Anita K Siddiqui
1University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. shahidahmed00@yahoo.com
The American Journal of the Medical Sciences
|April 20, 2004
Summary
Prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) in pregnancy can stem from Factor XI deficiency or antiphospholipid antibodies. These conditions did not lead to adverse outcomes, highlighting the importance of accurate sample handling.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Hematology
- Clinical Pathology
Background:
- Limited data exist on the causes of prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) during pregnancy.
- Routine prenatal screening may identify elevated aPTT in otherwise healthy pregnancies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify causes of prolonged aPTT in pregnant patients.
- To assess if these coagulopathies adversely affect pregnancy outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of medical records for 36 pregnant patients with isolated prolonged aPTT.
- Coagulation assays and clinical data analysis were performed.
Main Results:
- 24/36 patients had normalized aPTT on repeat testing, suggesting potential sample issues.
- Identified causes included Factor XI deficiency (5 patients), lupus anticoagulant (3), and elevated anticardiolipin antibody (2).
- No patients experienced excessive bleeding or thromboembolism.
Conclusions:
- Factor XI deficiency and antiphospholipid antibodies are key causes of prolonged aPTT in pregnancy.
- These identified coagulopathies did not correlate with adverse maternal or fetal outcomes.
- Accurate sample collection and processing are crucial to prevent erroneous coagulation test results.