Abnormal Liver Function Test in Pregnant Females attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in Lahore
Abstract
Background: To avoid diagnostic blunder, abnormal liver function tests (LFTs) related to pregnancy must be carefully evaluated. The underlying condition may have a significant impact on the results for both the mother and the foetus. Objective: Examining the clinical traits, frequency, and potential causes of anomalies in liver function tests was the aim of the current study. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Settings: Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, in collaboration of Department of Gastroenterology, Services hospital, Lahore Pakistan. Duration: Six months from July to December 2020. Methods: 85 pregnant females with abnormal liver function tests. Drug induced abnormal liver function tests and women with chronic liver disease were excluded. Results: Total 85 patients were included. The incidence of abnormal LFT was 0.98%. The mean age was 33.40 ± 12.3. Most of the females 46 (54.1%) were young with age less than 30 years. Oedema 21 (24.7%) was the most common presenting complain. Liver disorder in this study was found in 15 (17.64%) women which was not specific to pregnancy & consisted of infective hepatitis, sickle cell disease & malaria whereas 70 (82.3%) women had1pregnancy-specific liver dysfunction. Four cases of diffuse intravascular coagulopathy were complex, and two of them were treated by transfusing blood components; the other two succumbed to AFLP and placental abruption, respectively. There were a total of seven maternal fatalities in the study. The remaining two, one with hepatitis E and the other with HELLP syndrome, both passed away from multi-organ failure. There were 34 (38.8%) females with intrauterine death inclusive of three cases of 2nd trimester with early onset1pre-eclampsia. Number of preterm births was 8 that accounted for 9.41% of total 52 live births, 21 (24.7%) had intrauterine growth retardation and 23 (27%) were neonatal admissions. Conclusion: The most common reason for abnormal liver function tests during pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester, is pregnancy-specific diseases. The pre-eclampsia-related condition is the most prevalent of these diseases. If there is unawareness, abnormal LFT may go undetected, especially if jaundice is not the presenting symptom.