Retrospective Analysis of Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes in Pregnant Women with HELLP Syndrome Under General and Spinal Anesthesia

Abstract

We aimed to document anesthetic techniques for cesarean section in cases of HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets) syndrome. A retrospective study was carried out in a tertiary center including all patients who underwent emergency cesarean section for HELLP syndrome. The immediate preoperative maternal laboratory results including complete blood count, D-dimer, ALT, AST, LDH, bilirubin, and uric acid), the method of anesthesia, and complications were recorded. Fetal and neonatal outcomes were reviewed. HELLP class of the patients according to Mississippi classification were made to compare demographics, laboratory results and perinatal outcomes.
A total number of 193 charts were reviewed and 25 ASA IV HELLP syndrome was identified and 22 of these parturients underwent cesarean delivery while the remaining 3 parturients had vaginal delivery. The mean maternal age and gestational age of all patients were 31.2±2.77 weeks and 32.08±3.95, respectively. General anesthesia was selected in 14 out of 22 patients (63.63%), while 8 out of 22 (36.36%) received single-shot spinal anesthesia. Preoperative platelet count was significantly higher (p<0.01) in the spinal anesthesia group. All patients with a lower platelet count than 50,000/µL received general anesthesia. Regarding the classification of parturients, there were 5, 7 and 10 patients in HELLP Class 1, 2 and 3, respectively. In conclusion although spinal anesthesia was used in selected HELLP patients in the literature, our data demonstrated that general anesthesia was the most commonly performed technique than spinal anesthesia in parturients with HELLP syndrome.

Keywords

• Anesthesia
• General or spinal
• HELLP syndrome

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