Detecting Hypercoagulability in Morbidly Obese and Non Obese Parturients Following Cesarean Section Delivery

Following institutional ethical committee approval, 20 morbidly obese (BMI>40) and 20 non-obese (BMI < 30) parturients undergoing elective low segment cesarean section (LSCS) delivery under spinal subarachnoid block will be recruited into the study. A written informed consent will be obtained from all parturients prior to inclusion. All patients will receive an information sheet at the preoperative assessment visit to inform them about this study. Patients with a history of past or current thromboembolism will be excluded from the study as well as those with liver disease and those already on anticoagulant/anti-platelet therapy for repeated miscarriage or other indications. History of thromboembolism is defined as an arterial or deep venous thrombosis, catheter thrombosis, or pulmonary embolism diagnosed by ultrasound or spiral computed tomography (CT). Preoperative baseline full blood count and clotting profile will be done. Parturients with abnormal platelet count or coagulation results and those who will need conversion to general anesthesia will be excluded.

Data and sample collection Preoperative BMI, co-existing morbidities and laboratory test results including INR, PTT and platelet count as well as operative time and postoperative clinical or radiological evidence of thromboembolism will be recorded. A blood sample will be collected for ROTEM analysis prior to establishing the block (baseline), immediately after surgery and 8 hours later.

ROTEM analysis

Coagulability will be assessed using the ROTEM thromboelastometry analyzer (The ROTEM® delta, Tem Systems Inc.®, Munich, Germany). Extrinsic rotational thromboelastometry (EXTEM), intrinsic rotational thromboelastometry (INTEM) and FIBTEM will be measured for each blood sample. Clotting time (CT), clot formation time (CFT) and maximum clot firmness (MCF) will be recorded. Total clot strength will be assessed by "G" value as calculated according to the formula: (5000xMCF)/100-MCF and expressed as dynes/cm2 . G has been shown to be valuable in diagnosing hypo- and hypercoagulability . In non-obstetric cohorts, hypercoagulability was defined as a G value of ≥ 11.7 dynes/cm2 and hypocoagulability as a G value of <5.0 dynes/cm2 (values provided by manufacturer).