EFFICACY OF DEXAMETHASONE IN ACCELERATING POSTPARTUM RECOVERY AMONG WOMEN WITH HELLP (HEMOLYSIS, ELEVATED LIVER ENZYMES, AND LOW PLATELET) SYNDROME AND ITS MATERNAL COMPLICATIONS IN BICOL MEDICAL CENTER

Problem Statement: The study determined the efficacy of dexamethasone in accelerating postpartum recovery among women with HELLP Syndrome in Bicol Medical Center.

Methods: This randomized controlled study included postpartum women with complete or partial HELLP syndrome based on Tennesse Classification. A total of 30 patients were analyzed and divided into study and control groups through a systematic randomization technique after fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Postpartum women in the study group received 12 mg of Dexamethasone intravenously every 12 hours for two doses. Baseline parameters, 36th and 48th hours post-treatment were tested and compared with Repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc test.

Results: Dexamethasone showed a significant increase in platelet count from baseline of 131.06x103/uL to 150.13x103/uL at 36th-hour post-treatment and 224.40x103/uL at 48th-hour post-treatment in the study group compared to the control group baseline platelet count of 167.93x103/uL to 151.00x103/uL at 48th hour. Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) showed a significant decrease from the baseline of 117.80u/L in the study group to 60.73u/L at 36th-hour and 44.13u/L at 48th-hour compared to the control group baseline AST of 92.40u/L to 79.06u/L at 48th hour. Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) showed a significant decrease from a baseline of 147.53u/L in the study group to 73.80u/L at 36th-hour and 48.53u/L at 48th-hour compared to baseline AST of 81.86u/L in the control group to 97.40u/L at 48th hour. Lactate Dehydrogenase showed a significant decrease from a baseline of 777.46u/L in the study group to 477.93u/L at 36th-hour and 390.33u/L at 48th-hour as compared to the baseline LDH of 719.73u/L in the control group to 609.46u/L at 48th hour. No maternal complications were noted in the study group.

Conclusion: Dexamethasone use in postpartum HELLP Syndrome provided efficacy in improving disease markers and clinical outcomes thereby reducing hospital stays. This favorable method of management in complications of hypertension in pregnancy offers another direction for obstetricians in managing HELLP Syndrome. In a public health context, a shorter hospital stay would assist in reducing the utilization of limited hospital resources and saving healthcare costs by lowering the number of complications of hypertension in pregnancy.