title: Prediction of preeclampsia in a low-risk population using diastolic notch of uterine arteries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the performance of diastolic notch of uterine arteries as a predictor for preeclampsia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study of 378 pregnant women between 18-22 week's gestation who were attending at the Antenatal Care Clinic, Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University was conducted. Doppler flow velocity waveform of all subjects was screened for the presence of diastolic notch of uterine artery to be related with the pregnancy outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diastolic notch was found in one or both uterine arteries in 51 subjects, yielding 78.6% sensitivity, 89.0% specificity, 21.6% positive predictive value, 99.1% negative predictive value, 88.6% accuracy, with likelihood ratio of positive and negative test result of 7.2 and 0.2 respectively in the prediction of preeclampsia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although having high sensitivity and specificity, diastolic notch of uterine artery found in the second trimester provides too low predictive value to be used as a routine screening for preeclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
authors.forename: Thawalwong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ratanasiri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D003971:Diastole; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055815:Young Adult