White blood cell count may help detect infection in postpartum women: Study

Written By : Dr Nirali Kapoor |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2022-09-05T19:30:26+05:30 | Updated On 5 Sept 2022 7:30 PM IST

One of the hematologic changes is increase in number of the white blood cells after delivery, mostly neutrophils. The increase in the number of the neutrophils is due to decrease the activity of their apoptosis mechanism during pregnancy. During labor, there is further delayed in the neutrophil apoptosis which lead to further increase of the white blood cell count after normal vaginal delivery. Because the white blood cell and neutrophil counts are physiologically high during early puerperium, therefore the white blood cell count is not specific for detection of postpartum infection.

Vaidyanathan Gowri and team carried out study to ascertain whether total white cell count (WBC) and neutrophil count is clinically useful in diagnosing bacterial infection in postpartum women in early puerperium. The white cell count and neutrophil were significantly more in febrile women following vaginal delivery but NOT in the cesarean delivery group.

Authors studied a total of 250 women (150 women delivered by cesarean delivery and 100 women delivered vaginally) between January to May 2014. Information regarding the white cell count and neutrophil count were obtained from hospital information system and compared between febrile and afebrile women. Infection was confirmed by reviewing the laboratory results .WBC was compared between women with and without infection. Risks for puerperal bacterial infection were studied.

In the cesarean delivery group 4% had puerperal fever and 6% in the vaginal delivery. Culture for infection was positive only in 2 women each in the cesarean group and vaginal delivery group. The white cell count and neutrophil were significantly more in febrile women following vaginal delivery but NOT in the cesarean delivery group. There was no significant difference in the white cell count or neutrophil count of women between culture positive and culture negative group with fever.

Source: Vaidyanathan Gowri, Munira Ahmed Al-Zaabi, Mariya Khalfan Mohammed Al Hosni; European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 206 (2016) e1–e127

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2016.07.138

Postpartum Periodbacterial infection

Source : European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology

Dr Nirali Kapoor

MBBS, MD Obstetrics and Gynecology

Dr Nirali Kapoor has completed her MBBS from GMC Jamnagar and MD Obstetrics and Gynecology from AIIMS Rishikesh. She underwent training in trauma/emergency medicine non academic residency in AIIMS Delhi for an year after her MBBS. Post her MD, she has joined in a Multispeciality hospital in Amritsar. She is actively involved in cases concerning fetal medicine, infertility and minimal invasive procedures as well as research activities involved around the fields of interest.

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751