OBJECTIVE:

To determine the protein-creatinine ratio, as the most practical method, in healthy women immediately before the end of pregnancy (delivery or caesarean section) and in the puerperium, to verify its behavior and usefulness as a method for quantifying proteinuria during these stages of the puerperium.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Observational, longitudinal, prospective and analytical cohort study carried out between November 2023 and April 2024 at the Hospital Regional 1° de Octubre, Mexico City, in patients with term pregnancy, without comorbidities, who had four urine samples collected at different times (before the end of pregnancy and in the three stages of the puerperium) by bladder catheterisation, with catheter for the determination of the quotient.

RESULTS:

In 110 patients the protein-creatinine ratio was determined before the puerperium with a basal mean of 0.17 ± 0.07, immediate puerperium 0.32 ± 0.17, mid-puerperium 0.33 ± 0.20. In the late puerperium the values returned to normal: 0.13 ± 0.07. This increase was significant in 93.6% of the patients (p < 0.001). The protein-creatinine ratio was elevated in the puerperium in 63.3% of patients. There is a greater increase in the protein-creatinine ratio in caesarean section in labour compared to caesarean section in labour or planned caesarean section (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the increase in protein-creatinine ratio and its relation to BMI.

CONCLUSIONS:

During the immediate and mid-puerperium, the protein-creatinine ratio rises to significant values (> 0.3) due to the physiological increase in proteinuria. As this was a longitudinal study, the protein-creatinine ratio was found to normalise in the late puerperium.

        · resumen en Español     · texto en Español     · Español ( pdf )