title: [Clinical significance of the laboratory determinations in preeclamptic patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the clinical significance and optimal cutting points of laboratory tests more frequently used in patients with pre-eclampsia of recent diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We made an analytic cross-sectional study for evaluation of diagnostic test. Non probabilistic sampling. Sample size 400 patients. We used the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists criteria as gold standard. Laboratory personnel was blinded to the clinical classification of the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied 192 patients without pre-eclampsia, 63 with mild and 153 with severe pre-eclampsia. Hematocrits, prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and bilirubins did not show significative differences among groups. Platelets counting showed low sensitivity. Lactic dehydrogenase showed 71% sensitivity (65-85 CI95%), specificity 74% (68-80 CI95%) positive likelihood ratio 2.7 and negative 0.4. Uric acid showed sensitivity of 75% (69-81 CI95%) specificity 79% (73-85 CI95%) positive likelihood ratio of 3.5 and negative of 0.3. Seric creatinine with sensitivity of 81% (76-86 CI95%) specificity of 60% (53-67 CI95%) positive likelihood ratio of 2 and negative of 0.3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Seric uric acid, seric creatinine and lactic dehydrogenase are useful for diagnosis and severity classification of pre-eclampsia. Platelets counting is not useful for diagnosis but is useful for severity classification. In patients with thrombocytopenia prothrombin time is useful for severity classification.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Medicina Familiar núm. 93, IMSS. luisaperalta@netscape.net
authors.forename: María Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Peralta Pedrero
authors.forename: Ma Antonia
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Basavilvazo Rodríguez
authors.forename: Agles
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cruz Avelar
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sánchez Ambríz
authors.forename: María de los Angeles
authors.initials: Mde L
authors.lastname: Guzmán Ibarra
authors.forename: María del Carmen
authors.initials: Mdel C
authors.lastname: Martínez García
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity