title: Cardiovascular evaluation of fetal anemia due to alloimmunization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the cardiovascular impact of fetal anemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed 53 echo-Doppler studies from 24 fetuses with anemia due to alloimmunization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no difference between the severe and nonsevere anemia for heart rate, cardiothoracic ratio, and contractility. There was an increased left ventricular dimension, peak velocities of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and a decreased pulsatility index of the umbilical artery (UAPI) in the severe group. The combination of MCA and UAPI had a high sensitivity (86%), specificity (91%), positive (80%) and negative (94%) predictive value as well as positive predictive likelihood ratio (9.6) to detect severe anemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Standard echocardiograhic parameters are not useful to correlate anemia. The combination of MCA and UAPI improves the accuracy to detect severe anemia.
authors.affiliation: CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada. Jean-Luc_Bigras@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bigras
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suda
authors.forename: Nagib S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Dahdah
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Fouron