Spontaneous resolution of pre-eclampsia-related thrombocytopenia.

OBJECTIVE

To observe the spontaneous resolution of pre-eclampsia-related thrombocytopenia.

DESIGN

A retrospective study.

SETTING

High Risk Pregnancy Unit, John Radcliffe Maternity Hospital, Oxford.

SUBJECTS: Thirty women with pre-eclampsia complicated by the HELLP/ELLP syndrome who did not receive any specific treatment for their thrombocytopenia.

INTERVENTION: Serial platelet counts throughout labour and the puerperium until the platelet counts returned to levels above 100 x 10(9)/l.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Time taken from delivery and platelet nadir for platelet counts to return to levels above 100 x 10(9)/l. The rate of recovery from the platelet nadir was measured by the slope of the serial platelet counts plotted against time.

RESULTS

The mean time until platelet count exceeded 100 x 10(9)/l was 67 h (SD 25) after delivery and 44 h (SD 17) from the platelet nadir. All women had counts above 100 x 10(9)/l by 111 h after delivery, and by 88 h after the platelet nadir. Although the time to recovery appeared to depend on the degree of thrombocytopenia, the rate of resolution did not.

CONCLUSION

These data can be used as a guide by clinicians as to the expected time course for postpartum resolution of pre-eclampsia-related thrombocytopenia.