Haematological changes in Pregnancy Flashcards
How much does Hb decline by?
110 -> 100 g/l
- Techincally increases in pregnancy but bigger increase in plasma volue
What WBCs increase the most?
Neutrophils
What is “gestational thrombocytopenis”?
Fall in plateltes in pregnancy to lower limit of 80-90x10^11/L
What is the increase in mean cell volume (MCV)?
4 L (eg 84 to 88)
What fibrinogen factors are increased to create a hypercoagulable state?
Factors:
- VIII
- IX
- X
Amounts of what substance should be checked to see if a woman has iron deficiency anaemia?
Ferritin (MCV may be normal)
What are the common side-effects of iron supplementation which is often given in pregnancy?
- Constipation
- Abdo pain
- Nausea
What is a type of IV iron medication?
Ferinject (not as common as oral)
What is given to reduce neural tube defects (formed in 2-4 wks post conception)?
400mcg/day
What can immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) be triggered by?
Infection, drug or pregnancy
What causes immune thrombocytopenia purpura?
Auto antibodies to platelets (marrow normal)
How is immune thrombocytopenia purpura treated?
- Watch and wait
- Steroids
- Immunoglobulins
- Splenectomy
- Drugs to mimic thrombopoetin
- Fetal scalp sample can be taken to check if IgG antibodies have crossed from placenta to cause ITP in fetus
What is Thrombotic Thrombocytopenc Purpura (TTP)?
- Rare but life-threatening “thrombotic microangiopathy”
- Enzyme ADAMS13 prevents large Von Willebrands polymers - this becomes deficient and platelets aggregate
- Present as fever, neurological and renal disease, low platelets and fragmented red cells. Coagulation screen usually normal
What enzyme causes TTP?
ADAMS13
What is Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura associated with?
Auto-immune disease, HIV, pregnancy
How is thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura treated?
Plamsa exchange (to replace ADAMS13)