Assessment of Biochemical Changes in Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) among Saudi Population at KAMC-Riyadh

Background: One of the most common complications that affect around 2-5% pregnant women is elevated blood pressure defined as gestational hypertension.

Aims & Objective: To compare and correlate between plasma urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium, and plasma glucose and urine protein in pre-eclamptic and normotensive groups.

Materials and Methods: This is quantitative retrospective chart review study. It is an hospital based case control study involving data from 199 age – matched Saudi women, discharged from Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of King Abdul Aziz medical city during the period of 2013-2014. The data were collected following standard procedures and statistical analysis was done using independent t – test and correlation.

Results: The levels urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium in the serum, plasma glucose and urine protein were significantly elevated in pre-eclamptic women when compared to normotensives (p= 0.000, p= 0.000, p= 0.005, p= 0.000, p= 0.000, p= 0.000 respectively). There was a significant positive correlation between urea and protein, urea and creatinine (r=0.3 P=0.002), (r=0.7 p=0.000) respectively.

Conclusion: The elevated values of serum creatinine, urea, urine protein, sodium, potassium and plasma glucose preclude them to be useful for consideration as consistent predictive indicator(s) for pre-eclampsia or pregnancy related hypertension.