Packed Cell Volume of HIV Positive Pregnant Women in Enugu, Nigeria

Previous studies in Nigeria were on the seroprevalence of HIV infection but none of these studies reported on its effects on the haematological parameters or on these indices in pregnancy. This 4 year study determined the packed cell volume of HIV infected pregnant women in a Misson Specialist Hospital and Maternity in Enugu, Nigeria. Three milliliters of blood were collected intravenously from the subjects into EDTA tubes. These were centrifuged and the serum was screened for HIV with the quick test kit for HIV-1/HIV-2. Packed Cell Volume (PCV) was estimated by the microhaematocrit centrifuge and the result read on the Reader. The mean PCV of the HIV infected pregnant women was 32.83 0.14% (SEM) while it was 37.13 1.41% (SEM) for HIV-pregnant women and 36.65 1.37% (SEM) for non-pregnant women. Thus, HIV infection reduced the PCV in pregnancy and to a level suggestive of anaemia.