Rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM ) in gestational diabetes mellitus and coagulation in healthy term pregnancy: A prospective observational study in Australia.

BACKGROUND

Rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM ) is a point-of-care test of coagulation. ROTEM -defined hypercoagulability has been identified in pregnant women and in non-pregnant patients with diabetes mellitus. Pregnancy is known to be a hypercoagulable state, but the influence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on coagulation is unknown.

AIM

The aim of this study was to assess the combined effect of pregnancy and GDM on coagulation using ROTEM and to compare this to healthy pregnant women presenting for elective caesarean delivery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ethics approval was granted for recruitment of women presenting for elective caesarean delivery. Women with pre-existing conditions affecting coagulation were excluded. Group N included health pregnant women at term and Group G included pregnant women at term with GDM. Data regarding GDM management and glycaemic control were collected. Poor glycaemic control was defined by markers of accelerated fetal growth and elevated fasting or postprandial blood glucose levels. The ROTEM parameters (extrinsically activated thromboelastometric test (EXTEM) / fibrin polymerisation test (FIBTEM) amplitude at five minutes, coagulation time, maximum clot firmness and clot formation time) were compared between the two groups using Student's t-test.

RESULTS

There were 75 women in Group N and 21 women in Group G. Mean age and median body mass index values were comparable for both groups. There were no statistical differences found between the EXTEM and FIBTEM parameters analysed for the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

There was no association between GDM and increased hypercoagulability as demonstrated by ROTEM parameters in healthy pregnant women presenting for elective caesarean delivery at term.