Publication:

Estimation of serum uric acid levels as adverse prognostic indicator of perinatal outcome in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia: a prospective observational study

Background Preeclampsia, a spectrum of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, continues to have a significant impact in developing nations like India. Predicting the development of severe pregnancy-induced hypertension would be beneficial because all treatment protocols include some degree of expectant management. Hence, in this prospective observational study we aimed to estimate serum uric acid level and evaluated serum uric acid level as an indicator of adverse perinatal outcome in pregnant women with preeclampsia.

Methods This is a prospective observational study conducted with total of 200 pregnant women at Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, S.S. Institute of Medical Science and Research Centre (SSIMRC) Davangere, Karnataka. The study subjects were divided in to two groups viz. Cases (n=100) and Control (n=100) groups. In Case group pregnant women diagnosed with preeclampsia were included and control group consist of normotensive pregnant women. All selected women were subjected to clinical examination and blood pressure was recorded. Blood samples were collected and serum was separated for serum uric acid estimation.

Results The mean (±SD) age of the study subjects was found to be 25.56 (±3.56) and 24.75 (±2.48) in cases and control group respectively (p=0.214). There was a significant difference (p 7 mg/dl in pregnant women with mean gestational age of 35 weeks either in primigravida or multigravida could be used as a prognostic marker of adverse perinatal outcome in pregnant women with preeclampsia.