Pregnancy associated coagulopathies in selected community hospitals in Southwest Nigeria

Pregnancy is characterized by multiple changes in the coagulation system which occurs at different stages of the condition, representing one of the major triggers of maternal and foetal morbidity/mortality in the world during complicated incidences. This study determined the prevalence of coagulation disorders among pregnant women in Southwest Nigeria to buttress the need for prompt and accurate routine diagnosis of these disorders.

Four hundred and five participants (405) attending some selected tertiary health facilities in Southwestern Nigeria were randomly recruited for the study, comprising two hundred and seventy (270) pregnant subjects and one hundred and thirty-five (135) apparently healthy age- and socio-economic status-matched non-pregnant women as controls. The platelet count was assessed; prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time were assessed. Immunoturbidimetric and chromogenic techniques were also used to assess the level of D-dimer and activated protein C resistance.

Platelet count, PT and INR in all three trimesters were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced when compared to the non-pregnant control subjects. However, the level of circulating D-dimer was significantly (p < 0.05) increased in all three trimesters when compared with the control group, with observable steady increase in the second and third trimesters. Also, 13% of respondents had thrombotic predisposition and 14.8% with tendencies for consumption coagulopathy while 1.1% are APCr positive individuals.

The study affirms the hypercoagulable state of pregnancy coupled with mild gestational thrombocytopenia which could be pointers to onset of coagulation disorders in some participants, subjects with coagulation profiles indicative of thrombotic tendencies and possible onset of consumption coagulopathy and the presence of activated protein C resistant in the region. A review of the coagulation monitoring strategies for pregnant women from primary care to include more definite assays and its proper implementation will immensely contribute to early diagnosis along with intervention for pregnancy associated coagulopathies in resource-limited settings.