title: [Echocardiography study of hemodynamic changes in pregnancy].
abstract: The purpose of this study is to monitor the haemodynamic changes that occur in pregnancy using ultrasound. Although all previous studies do demonstrate an increase in frequency and the volume of the cardiac output, the results seem to be different as far as variations in volume during systole occur and the mechanisms by which they occur. These differences can be explained by problems associated with the different methods used. Our study was carried out on ten pregnant women who were examined in each trimester (TM1, TM2, TM3) and post-partum (TM4). The results confirm that cardiac frequency rises (TM3 92 +/- 5 VS TM4 73 +/- 3 cpm p less than 0,01) and cardiac output does (TM3 7,2 +/- 0,6 VS TM4 4,8 +/- 0,3 Umm p less than 0,01). The volume in systolic ejection (VES) rises throughout pregnancy when the patient is lying on her left side (TM3 81 +/- 4 VS TM4 69 +/- 2 ml p less than 0,01). The rise in VES could be put down to an increase to the veinous return which itself is reflected by the left auricle (TM3 33,7 +/- 1,1 mm VS TM4 29,9 +/- 0,7 mm p less than 0,05) and in the left ventricle (TM3 48,7 +/- 0,6 VS TM4 46,3 +/- 0,3 mm p less than 0,01) and the sudden drop in the total peripheral resistance (TM1 950 +/- 50 VS TM4 1 335 +/- 95 dynes/sec. X cm-5 p less than 0,01). It does not seem as though there is any change in myocardial contractility.
mesh_terms: D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy
vernacular_title: Etude échocardiographique des modifications hémodynamiques de la grossesse.