title: Should routine ultrasonography in pregnancy be mandatory?
abstract: A review of the first 500 obstetric ultrasound scans performed at the National Hospital, Abuja between September 1999 and February 2000 was carried out. Five hundred pregnant women aged 18-41 years, mean age of 30 +/- 3.41 years; who had obstetric scans were studied. 287 (57.4%) had routine scans while 213 (42.6%) had specific obstetric reasons for scanning. The former served as the control group. Of the total, positive findings were seen in 180 cases (36%). 71.8% of those with specific indications for scanning had positive findings of clinical significance, while only 9.4% of the control group had incidental findings of clinical significance. Positive findings on ultrasound were significantly greater in the group with specific reasons for scanning, P < 0.001. We suggest that ultrasound examination in pregnant women should be performed based on established medical indications, elucidated clinically.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria.
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Efetie
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Umezulike
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Ewuzie-Wokocha
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000592:standards*