Use of uterine Doppler in an Australian level II maternity hospital.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical usefulness of uterine Doppler.


METHODS
Retrospective study between March 2001 and March 2003.


METHODS
A high-risk population of pregnant women in a busy level II Maternity unit.


METHODS
Resistance index (RI) measurements of the right and left uterine artery were obtained by using pulsed wave Colour Doppler. The presence of a unilateral or bilateral early diastolic notch was noted. An abnormal result was defined as a mean RI >or= 0.58 with no, one or two notches or a mean RI < 0.58 in the presence of bilateral notches.


RESULTS
Pre-eclampsia was found in 45 (24.7%) women, gestational hypertension (GH) in 22 (12.1%) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) in 42 (23.1%) of women included (total 59.9%). In the overall group, 127 (69.8%) women were found to have abnormal uterine artery Doppler results and 55 (30.2%) of patients had a normal Doppler study. No significant differences were found between the group of women with abnormal uterine artery Doppler and the women with a normal velocity waveform in the prediction of pre-eclampsia, IUGR and GH, this was also true in the various high-risk-subgroups.


CONCLUSIONS
Uterine Doppler is not particularly useful to the obstetrician in the management of patients with an a priori very high risk to develop uteroplacental insufficiency.
Nagtegaal
Mariëtte J C
MJ
Women's and Children Division Lyell McEwin Hospital, University of Adelaide, Elizabeth Vale, South Australia, Australia.
van Rijswijk
Suzanne
S
McGavin
Steward
S
Dekker
Gus
G
D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004461:Eclampsia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006771:Hospitals, Maternity; D006801:Humans; D008423:Maternal Age; D010298:Parity; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018617:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Pulsed; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal