3. Components of blood
• Plasma Plasma Components
– Transport mechanism
• 90-92% water. Water
90%
• 6-7% proteins
• 2-3%
– Fats
– Carbohydrates (glucose)
– Electrolytes
– Gases (O2, CO2)
– Chemical messengers
Other Protein
3% 7%
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4. Functions
• responsible for the transport of blood gases from the lung to
the tissues (oxygen) and from the tissues back to the lungs
(carbon dioxide).
• White blood cells serve to defend against pathogens and
foreign bodies(immunity). They perform these tasks most of
the time outside theblood vessels, in the connective tissues. In
this case the blood serves solely as a means of transportation
from the site of cell formation (bonemarrow) to the site of
action.
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13. Hemostasis
hemostasis is achieved by several mechanisms:
1) vascular constriction,
2) formation of a platelet plug,
3) formation of a blood clot as a result of blood
coagulation, and
4) eventual growth of fibrous tissue into the
blood clot to close the hole in the vessel
permanently.
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20. Plasma volume
• Increased by 10 to 15 %
• Total gain at term averages 1100 to 1600ml
Total volume 4700ml to 5200ml ,
i.e. 30 to 50% above non pregnant , Fig.1
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22. Plasma Volume
Systemic vasodilatation
Rise in vascular capacitance
Underfilled vascular system
Rise in plasma volume
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23. Pregnancy-induced hypervolemia has
important functions:
• To meet the metabolic demands of the enlarged
uterus & hypertrophied vascular system.
• To provide an abundance of nutrients and elements
to support the rapidly growing placenta and fetus.
• To protect the mother and in turn the fetus, against
the deleterious effects of impaired venous return in
the supine and erect positions.
• To safeguard the mother against the adverse effects
of blood loss associated with parturition.
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24. Plasma Volume during postpartum
Decreases after delivery ,then
increases again 2 to 5 days
later
10 to 15% above at
3 weeks
Nl at 6
wks
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25. RED BLOOD CELLS
• 20 to 30% (250 to 450 mL) above
nonpregnant iron supplemented
• 15 to 20% above nonpregnant not on iron
supplement
• Life span slightly decreased
• Erythropoietin levels increase by 50 %
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27. physiological or dilutional anemia of
pregnancy
• Observed in healthy pregnant woman
• Greatest during late 2nd to early 3rd trimester
lowest Hgb at 28 to 36wks
• Nearer to term Hgb increases
• Anemia cut off point: <11 g/dL 1st and 3rd
trimesters and < 10.5 g/dL 2nd trimester, for
black Americans 0.8g/dl less
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28. Hemoglobin Values in Pregnancy
MEAN FIFTH PERCENTILE
WEEKS' HEMOGLOBIN HEMOGLOBIN
GESTATION (G/DL) (G/DL)
12 12.2 11.0
16 11.8 10.6
20 11.6 10.5
24 11.6 10.5
28 11.8 10.7
32 12.1 11.0
36 12.5 11.4
40 12.9 11.9
From U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Recommendations to
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prevent and control iron deficiency in the United States. MMWR 47:1, 1998
29. PLATELET COUNT
• Mean PLT slightly lower than healthy non
pregnant woman
due to the effects of hemodilution
increased platelet consumption
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31. Thrombocytopenia
• most significant obstetrical consideration concerning platelet
physiology in pregnancy
• Gestational or incidental thrombocytopenia is characterized :
mild asymptomatic
occurring in the third trimester
without any history
not associated with maternal, fetal, or neonatal
sequelae and
spontaneously resolves postpartum
Platelet counts are typically >70,000/microL, with
about two-thirds being 130,000 to 150,000 microL
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32. WHITE BLOOD CELLS
• 1st trimester, the mean count is 8,000/mm3, Nl (5,110
to 9,900/mm)
• 2nd & 3rd trimester, the mean is 8,500/mm3, Nl
(5,600 to 12,200/mm3
• In labor, rise to 20,000 to 30,000/mm3,
• largely due to increases in circulating segmented
neutrophils and granulocytes
• caused by the elevated estrogen and cortisol levels
• Returns to normal with in 1 to 2 weeks
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33. Immunologic system
• associated with suppression humoral and cell-
mediated immunological functions
• involve suppression of T-helper (Th) 1 and T-
cytotoxic (Tc) 1 cells, which decreases secretion of
interleukin-2 (IL-2), interferon- , and tumor necrosis
factor- (TNF-)
• upregulation of Th2 cells to increase secretion of IL-
4, IL-6, and IL-13.
• In cervical mucus,immunoglobulins A and G (IgA and
IgG) are significantly higher
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34. COAGULATION FACTORS AND
INHIBITORS
• 5 to 6 fold increased risk for thromboembolic disease
• venous stasis, vessel wall injury, and changes in the
coagulation cascade
• Fibrinogen, factors II, VII, VIII, X, XII, and XIII increase
by 20 to 200 percent
• Von Willebrand factor increases
• Antithrombin, protein C, Factor V and Factor IX levels
remain unchanged or increase slightly
• return to baseline by six to eight weeks after delivery
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35. Table 5-2. Changes in Measures of
Hemostasis during Normal Pregnancy
Parameter Nonpregnant Pregnant (35–40 weeks)
Activated PTT (sec) 31.6 4.9 31.9 2.9
Thrombin time (sec) 18.9 2.0 22.4 4.1a
Fibrinogen (mg/dL) 256 58 473 72a
Factor VII (%) 99.3 19.4 181.4 48.0a
Factor X (%) 97.7 15.4 144.5 20.1a
Plasminogen (%) 105.5 14.1 136.2 19.5a
tPA (ng/mL) 5.7 3.6 5.0 1.5
Antithrombin III (%) 98.9 13.2 97.5 33.3
Protein C (%) 77.2 12.0 62.9 20.5a
Total Protein S (%) 75.6 14.0 49.9 10.2a
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36. Figure 3-11 The normal components of the coagulation cascade. (From Johnson RL:
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Thromboembolic disease complicating pregnancy. In Foley MR, Strong TH [eds]:
37. Key points
Maternal plasma volume increases 50 percent
during pregnancy
RBC volume increases approximately 18 to 30
percent
hematocrit normally decreases during gestation but
not below 30 percent
Pregnancy is a hypercoagulable state
increases in the levels of the
majority of the procoagulant factors increase and
fibrinolytic system decreases and in some of the
natural inhibitors of coagulation
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40. References
• Guyton and Hall ,Text book of medical
physiology , 11th edition
• Williams Obstetrics,Cunningham, Leveno,
Bloom, Hauth, Rouse, Spong, 23rd edition
• Obstetrics normal and problem pregnancies,
Steven G. Gabbe,Jennifer R.Niebyl, Joe leigh
simpson, 5th Edition
• Up to date , 18.2
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Components of BloodRed Blood CellsWhite Blood CellsInflammatory processCoagulationBlood may be viewed as tissue—a sort of fluid transportation tissue, ofwhich the intercellular substance is the blood plasma (plasma). Thecellular components of this tissue are the red (erythrocytes) and white(leukocytes) blood cells and the platelets (thrombocytes (Fig. 6.1a, b).The proportion of the total blood volume occupied by all blood cells inpercent is called the hematocrit (see Fig. 6.3). It averages 45%, and is usuallya little higher in men (47%) than in women (43 %).
Functions of the BloodBlood has multiple functions closely connected with its components andwith the vascular system. While a function of the blood vessels is to distributethe blood overall (heat regulation and distribution of substances),the formed and unformed blood components have some very specificfunctions.The red blood cells, for instance, are responsible for the transport ofblood gases from the lung to the tissues (oxygen) and from the tissuesback to the lungs (carbon dioxide).White blood cells serve to defend against pathogens and foreign bodies(immunity). They perform these tasks most of the time outside theblood vessels, in the connective tissues. In this case the blood servessolely as a means of transportation from the site of cell formation (bonemarrow) to the site of action.The fluid portion of the blood, the plasma, subserves several differenttransportation tasks. For instance, it undertakes the transport of nutrients from where they are absorbed (intestinal villi) to where they are utilized (organs), of metabolic products to the excretory organs (kidneys),and of substances acting inside the body to their sites of activity(hormones). Simultaneously, blood transports heat from the metabolicallyactive organs to the surface.Another task of blood is coagulation. When blood vessels are injured,the clotting factors carried in the blood, such as fibrinogen and platelets,are of vital importance. In addition to water, blood plasma contains anumber of salts (electrolytes), proteins (albumins and globulins), lipids(fatty acids and cholesterol), and carbohydrates (blood glucose), andnumerous vitamins, trace elements, and enzymes. Other noteworthyfeatures of blood include its essentially constant composition, relativelyconstant osmotic pressure, and a pH value that varies only within narrowlimits (7.2−7.4) (the so-called “constant internal milieu”).
Genesis of white blood cells. The different cells of the myelocyte series are 1, myeloblast; 2, promyelocyte; 3,megakaryocyte; 4, neutrophil myelocyte; 5, young neutrophil metamyelocyte; 6, “band” neutrophil metamyelocyte;7, polymorphonuclear neutrophil; 8, eosinophil myelocyte; 9, eosinophil metamyelocyte; 10, polymorphonuclear eosinophil;11, basophil myelocyte; 12, polymorphonuclear basophil; 13–16, stages of monocyte formation.
Whenever a vessel is severed or ruptured, hemostasis is achieved by several mechanisms:1) vascular constriction, (2) formation of a platelet plug, (3) formation of a blood clot as a result of blood coagulation, and (4) eventual growth of fibrous tissue into the blood clot to close the hole in the vessel permanently.