• C U Odum.
• Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria.
• West Afr J Med. 1994 Jan 1; 13 (1): 1-6.

AbstractThis study evaluated, the influence of mode of delivery, obstetric analgesia and anaesthesia on the maternal plasma renin angiotension system (RAS) in the normotensive primigravidae (n-10) and those with Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) (n-18). A total of 56 plasma samples from these subjects were assayed for Plasma Renin Concentration (PRC) and Plasma Renin Activity (PRA), using the radio-immunoassay technique. The normotensive subjects had normal delivery, while their hypertensive counterparts were delivered vaginally under lumbar epidural analgesia (n = 10) and with Caesarean Section (n = 8). The blood sample for the study were taken pre-labour, and immediately after delivery. The mean pre-labour PRC and PRA levels for the normotensive subjects were 5.73 +/- 0.25, and 3.56 +/- 0.13 ngml.1hr-1; and the post-delivery PRC and PRA values were 4.43 +/- 0.18 and 2.1 +/- 0.05ngml-1hr-1 respectively. The mean pre-labour PRC and PRA levels for the hypertensive subjects, who were delivered under epidural analgesia were 6.38 +/- 0.52 and 3.64 +/- 0.09 ngml-1hr-1 and the post-delivery values for this group were 5.04 +/- 0.21 and 2.34 +/- 0.07 ngml-1hr-1 respectively. The mean pre-labour PRC and PRA levels for the hypertensive subjects who were delivered by Caesarean Section were 5.87 +/- 0.36 and 3.83 +/- 0.36 ngml-1hr-1 and their post-delivery PRC and PRA values were 4.55 +/- 0.30 and 2.30 +/- 0.09 respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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