Hemostatic variables in patients with intrauterine fetal death.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the occurrence of hemostatic disturbances in patients with intrauterine fetal death (IFD).


METHODS
The occurrence of abnormal results of hemostatic variables and of bleeding complications was noted from the medical records of 41 patients with IFD, 6 of whom had a multiple pregnancy.


RESULTS
Apart from the increased platelet count, results of blood coagulation tests in all except one patient with IFD did not differ from normal values. This patient, who had a twin pregnancy with one dead fetus, had an increase in fibrin degradation products and fibrin monomers 4 weeks after IFD and fibrinogenopenia and thrombocytopenia 2 weeks later.


CONCLUSIONS
The deterioration of systemic hemostasis in women with IFD is rare and only occurs after 4 weeks of dead fetus retention; the main signs of this deterioration are fibrinogenopenia and thrombocytopenia.
Duchinski
T
T
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical Center of Postgraduate Education, Warsaw, Poland.
Pisarek-Miedzinska
D
D
Szczepanski
M
M
D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death; D006487:Hemostasis; D006801:Humans; D010976:Platelet Count; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*