Effects of haemoglobin levels on the sublingual microcirculation in pregnant women.
Anemia in pregnant women is associated with increased maternal and perinatal mortality and represents an important economic burden in many developing countries. Our goal was to evaluate the impact of anemia on the capillary network during pregnancy. Therefore, we compared microcirculatory parameters of anemic pregnant study participants to that of non-anemic pregnant women employing sublingual microcirculation video imaging technology and novel automated video analysis software.Non-anemic (n = 7) and anemic (n = 44) pregnant women were enrolled in the study at second and third trimesters. Video imaging was applied to the sublingual mucosal surface in five visual fields. The resultant videos were analyzed automatically, avoiding observer bias. Total vessel density (TVD), perfused vessel density (PVD) and proportion of perfused vessels (PPV) were calculated by the software. Both, mean TVD and PVD were significantly increased in the anemic pregnant group, while the PPV was not significantly different. Significant negative correlations were observed between haemoglobin (Hb) levels and both, TVD and PVD. Haemoglobin level seems to play an important determinant role in restructuring the capillary network. An effect that could compensate the impaired tissue oxygen delivery associated with anemia during pregnancy.
Surgical Intensive Care Trauma Center, Department of Anaesthesia, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.|Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.|Department of Anaesthesia, Pain Management and Perioperative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Nivin
N
Sharawy
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Ahmed
A
Hussein
Surgical Intensive Care Trauma Center, Department of Anaesthesia, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Osama
O
Hossny
Surgical Intensive Care Trauma Center, Department of Anaesthesia, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Amera
A
Refaa
Surgical Intensive Care Trauma Center, Department of Anaesthesia, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Ahmed
A
Saka
Surgical Intensive Care Trauma Center, Department of Anaesthesia, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Ahmed
A
Mukhtar
Department of Anaesthesia, Pain Management and Perioperative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Sara
S
Whynot
Department of Anaesthesia, Pain Management and Perioperative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Ron
R
George
Department of Anaesthesia, Pain Management and Perioperative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Christian
C
Lehmann
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008833:Microcirculation; D065568:Oral Mucosal Absorption / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy
D006454:Hemoglobins
Haemoglobin; anemia; microcirculation; perfusion; pregnancy