Use of coagulation tests to predict the clinical progress of pre-eclampsia.
The clinical manifestations of severe pre-eclampsia are normally separated from those of mild pre-eclampsia and normal pregnancy on arbitrary grounds. A clinical index, based on the increase in diastolic blood-pressure and the presence of proteinuria, was developed to reflect the spectrum of disease from mild to severe pre-eclampsia. This was related to a coagulation index based on the platelet-count, plasma-factor-VIII, and serum-fibrinolytic-degradation-products. The two indices were shown to be strongly correlated. All cases of perinatal death associated with pre-eclampsia had coagulation indices in the most severely abnormal range. These results suggest that intravascular coagulation is a highly characteristic feature of pre-eclampsia and that the coagulation index may be of value in  monitoring the progress of the disease.
D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000473:pathology; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005169:Factor VIII / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology
D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D005169:Factor VIII