Erythrocyte sedimentation rate as a simple test to predict late-stage pregnancy complications of women in low-resource settings

Abstract: Hypertension is the most common medical problem encountered during pregnancy, complicating 2-3% of pregnancies. Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure is defined as a blood pressure reading of 140/90 or above. WHO estimates the incidence of PIH to be seven times higher in developing countries (2.8% of live births) than in developed countries (0.4%). In Nigeria, prevalence ranges between 2% and 16.7% in different zones. In our study, an assessment of the effect of certain blood rheological variables on the blood pressure of pregnant women was undertaken. One hundred and sixty eight women in advanced stages of pregnancy were assessed, using fifty non-pregnant women as control subjects. The result showed that there is a significant association between Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and blood pressure changes in pregnancy. There was also a significant association between ESR and parity. The study suggests that inflammatory processes triggered off during the first pregnancy may become exacerbated in subsequent pregnancies in multiparous pregnant women. The study shows that ESR levels may be used in predicting possible development of pregnancy-induced complications in pregnant women, especially during the early third trimester in low-income countries where access to adequate health facilities may be difficult. Keywords: Hypertension, ESR. Title: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate as a simple test to predict late-stage pregnancy complications of women in low-resource settings Author: Ayodele O. Ilesanmi, Rashidat Abimbola Ibrahim, Bayo Akinosun, Waheed A. Akinleye, Esther Ngozi Adejumo International Journal of Healthcare Sciences ISSN 2348-5728 (Online) Research Publish Journals

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