title: Thromboelastographic changes in healthy parturients and postpartum women.
abstract: Thromboelastography (TEG) using disposable plastic cups and pins was performed with native whole blood (native group) in 17 nonpregnant volunteers, 134 healthy term pregnant women (>36 wk gestation), and 69 postpartum women. Thromboelastography was also performed with celite-activated whole blood (celite group) in 15 nonpregnant female volunteers, 38 healthy term pregnant women, and 34 postpartum women. The thromboelastographic parameters r and K were significantly decreased in pregnant and postpartum women compared with nonpregnant women in both groups (P < 0.05). The maximum amplitude MA, elastic shear modulus, and alpha angles were significantly increased in pregnant and postpartum women compared with nonpregnant women in both groups (P < 0.05). The TEG coagulation index was significantly greater in pregnant and postpartum women compared with nonpregnant women in both groups. In this study, TEG showed that pregnancy is a hypercoagulable state and that postpartum women remain hypercoagulable through the first 24 h postdelivery. The use of celite in TEG accelerated the speed of TEG analysis.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, Dallas 75235-9068, USA.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Philip
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiley
mesh_terms: D001777:Blood Coagulation; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D010976:Platelet Count; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D013916:Thrombelastography