Prevalence of Hyperemesis Gravidarum and Its Associated Electrolyte & Hematologic Disturbance among Pregnant Women

Heba Bassiony Ghanem^1*Shaher Mustafa Hammoudeh²Dalia Mahmoud Abdelmonem Elsherbini³Sanaa Elfatih Hussein⁴Jamila Ibrahim Algader⁴Raghad Mohammed Alenazi⁵Taif Yahya Alshammari⁵Amirah Enad Alruwaili⁵Najd Budayri Alruwaili⁵Mohamed El-Sherbiny⁶Rasha Hamed AlSerwi⁷Moaz Abulfaraj⁸Ateya Megahed^10,9Mohamed Mahmoud Abdelfattah Abdelrahman¹¹Nagwan Ahmed Bahgat¹²

• ¹Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 20, Sakaka 72388,14, Jouf University, Sakakah, Saudi Arabia
• ²Department of Pediatric and neonatology, El Sharq Hosiptal,, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates
• ³Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, P.O. Box 2014, Sakaka 72388,, Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, P.O. Box 2014,, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia
• ⁴Sakaka 72388, Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, P.O. Box 2014, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia
• ⁵Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, P.O. Box 2014,, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia
• ⁶Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, AlMaarefa University, P.O. Box 71666, Riyadh 11597,, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• ⁷Department of Basic Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671,, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• ⁸Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University,, Jedda, Saudi Arabia
• ⁹College of Nursing, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942,, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
• ¹⁰Department of Family and Community Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Port Said University, Port Said 42511, Port Said, Egypt
• ¹¹Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, King Abdulaziz University,, Jedda, Saudi Arabia
• ¹²Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35111,, Mansoura, Egypt

Background and objective: Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is a condition that develops early in pregnancy, before 16 weeks of gestation, characterized by severe nausea and/or vomiting, an inability to tolerate food and/or beverages, and a substantial impairment of daily activities. Hyperemesis gravidarum can cause obvious maternal and fetal consequences. The study aimed to assess HG prevalence and investigate associated electrolyte & hematologic disturbance along with identifying risk factors among pregnant women in Aljouf, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A retrospective observational case-control study was conducted using 200 medical records selected from a total of 9,090 records of pregnant women at the Maternity and Children Hospital in Aljouf, covering the period from November 2020 to November 2023. Results: Hyperemesis gravidarum prevalence was 1.1% among the studied pregnant women. Hyperemesis gravidarum cases showed significantly lower body weight and BMI as compared to controls. Nearly 48% of HG cases occurred in women from 30-39 years, while 52% were in the first trimester. 36% were primigravida and 11% were pregnant with twins. 35% of HG cases suffered from hypotension. Hyponatremia occurred in 29%, hypokalemia in 21% and hypochloremia in 24%. Hematological disturbances included 11% of cases with increased Hb level, 12% with increased hematocrit, 19% leukocytosis and 17% neutrophilia. Conclusion: Hypotension, electrolyte imbalance, and hematological disturbances are the main consequences of HG. First trimester pregnant cases and low gestational age are the most important risk factors of HG. Strategies of health care centers and further research are needed to enhance treatment, management and prevention methods of HG.