Evaluation of Fibrinogen Levels in Pregnant Women with Gestational Hypertension at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, South East Nigeria

This study evaluates plasma fibrinogen levels in pregnant women with gestational hypertension compared to normotensive pregnant women at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State, South East Nigeria. Fibrinogen is an acute phase reactant and a primary determinant of blood viscosity and coagulation; its elevation in hypertensive pregnancy disorders contributes to the prothrombotic milieu that underlies placental insufficiency and maternal vascular complications. A case-control study enrolled 90 pregnant women with gestational hypertension (without proteinuria) and 90 normotensive pregnant controls matched by gestational age from the antenatal clinic. Plasma fibrinogen was determined by the Clauss clotting method. Platelet count, haematocrit, D-dimer, and blood pressure recordings were also assessed. Findings revealed significantly higher fibrinogen levels in gestational hypertension patients (mean 4.8 g/L) compared to normotensive controls (mean 3.6 g/L). Fibrinogen correlated positively with systolic and diastolic blood pressure. D-dimer was also significantly elevated in the hypertensive group. Cases with fibrinogen above 5.0 g/L were more likely to progress to pre-eclampsia within two weeks of sampling. The study recommends serial fibrinogen monitoring in gestational hypertension as a risk stratification tool for pre-eclampsia progression at NAUTH and proposes fibrinogen threshold values for clinical alerting protocols. Keywords: fibrinogen, gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia risk, coagulation, Nnewi.