Utero-placental blood flow velocity waveforms as predictors of pregnancy-induced hypertension.
Sixty high-risk pregnancies were studied in order to define the validity of the analysis of utero-placental blood flow velocity waveforms in early screening for developing hypertensive diseases. Recordings were obtained at 18-20 weeks gestation, in normotensive patients, using a pulsed duplex Doppler system at the level of uterine vessels. The patients (n = 22) who developed hypertension showed a higher resistance index value (p less than 0.001) than normotensive patients (n = 38). The validity of uteroplacental waveform analysis was as follows: specificity = 84.2%; sensitivity = 63.6%; positive predictive value = 70%; negative predictive value = 80%; accuracy = 76.6%. The high specificity attained suggests that this test can adequately identify, among a high-risk population, patients destined to remain normotensive during pregnancy.
D001158:Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010920:Placenta / Q000098:blood supply*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012212:Rheology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply*