Role of Platelet Distribution Width (PDW) and Plateletcrit in the Assessment of Nonthrombocytopenic Preeclampsia and Eclampsia.

Objective: To evaluate the role of platelet indices in preeclampsia and eclampsia.

Methods: An observational analytical study was conducted in Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ambedkar Hospital, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Medical College, Raipur. It was performed on 150 women between March 2015 and February 2016; among them, 42 were taken as controls, 36 were preeclampsia and 72 were eclampsia. Their platelet count and platelet indices were done, analyzed and compared.

Result: In our study, we found that mean platelet count and mean plateletcrit showed a significant decrease while mean MPV and mean PDW showed a significant increase with increasing severity of disease. Also, we observed that 66.7% preeclampsia and 51.4% eclampsia were nonthrombocytopenic. Among these women, a decrease in the values of plateletcrit and an increase in PDW were seen in a significantly higher number of eclampsia patients. So these two platelet indices can become the new marker for an adverse outcome in preeclampsia and eclampsia even in women presenting with normal platelet counts.

Conclusion: Platelet indices showed a significant variation along with the severity of the disease. Platelet indices, especially PDW and plateletcrit, can be used along with platelet count to evaluate the severity of preeclampsia and eclampsia instead of relying on platelet count alone.