title: A comparison of capillary and venous blood haematocrits of pregnant women in Nigeria: the impact on diagnosis and prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Volume of red cells in capillary blood varies from that of venous blood. The magnitude of this variation as well as its impact on the diagnosis of anaemia in pregnancy needs to be studied. This study demonstrates the disparity between capillary and venous PCV in pregnancy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether capillary blood PCV (cPCV) differed from venous blood PCV (vPCV) of normal pregnant women in Enugu, Nigeria, and its effect on diagnosis and prevalence of anaemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  PCV was estimated using pairs of venous and capillary blood samples from 200 consecutive pregnant women at the Antenatal Clinic of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants' cPCV (median = 34.0%, IQR = 31.0-35.8) was significantly lower than their vPCV (median = 34.0%, IQR = 32.0-37.0) (Z = -6.85, P < 0.001). However, women's cPCV had strong positive correlation with their vPCV (r = 0.883, P < 0.001). The prevalence of anaemia among participants using capillary and venous blood was 33.5% (67/200) and 28.0% (56/200), respectively (O.R = 1.3 (CI 95%: 0.85, 1.98),  P = 0.233).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Capillary blood PCV was lower than vPCV among pregnant women in Enugu, Nigeria. Nevertheless, the prevalence of anaemia derived from cPCV did not differ significantly from that of vPCV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, PMB 01129, Enugu 400001, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Cyril Chukwudi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Dim
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, PMB 01129, Enugu 400001, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Emmanuel Onyebuchi
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Ugwu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, PMB 01129, Enugu 400001, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ugochukwu Bond
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5606-1780
authors.initials: UB
authors.lastname: Anyaehie
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, PMB 01129, Enugu 400001, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Kingsley Chukwu
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Obioha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002196:Capillaries / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D014680:Veins / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult