Mildly raised tricuspid regurgitant velocity 2.5-3.0 m/s in pregnant women with sickle cell disease is not associated with poor obstetric outcome - An observational cross-sectional study.
Pulmonary hypertension is associated with 36% mortality in pregnancy, and 6-10% of patients with sickle cell disease have pulmonary hypertension. Tricuspid regurgitant velocity ≥2.5 m/s on echocardiography is a well validated means of screening for pulmonary hypertension in the non-pregnant population. This is a pilot study to determine if this is a useful non-invasive screening test for pulmonary hypertension in pregnancy, and whether raised tricuspid regurgitant velocity ≥2.5 m/s was associated with poor outcomes. This is a cross-sectional study over a five-year period in a tertiary referral centre with a specialised multidisciplinary clinic for pregnant women with sickle cell disease. Women with sickle cell disease, no prior pulmonary hypertension and singleton pregnancies who had echocardiography with a measurable tricuspid regurgitant velocity in pregnancy were included. There were 34 pregnancies, of which eight had tricuspid regurgitant velocity ≥2.5 m/s. There were no significant differences in their characteristics, sickle cell-related complications or medical co-morbidities. The women with tricuspid regurgitant velocity ≥2.5 m/s had similar obstetric and perinatal outcomes as those with a tricuspid regurgitant velocity <2.5 m/s.
Women's Health Academic Department, King's College London, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
May C
MC
Soh
Women's Health Academic Department, King's College London, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Srividhya
S
Sankaran
Cardiology Department, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Natali Ya
NY
Chung
Women's Health Academic Department, King's College London, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Catherine
C
Nelson-Piercy
Haematology Department, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Jo
J
Howard
Haematology Department, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Sue E
SE
Robinson
Women's Health Academic Department, King's College London, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Eugene
E
Oteng-Ntim
Sickle cell disease; obstetric outcomes; pregnancy; pulmonary hypertension; tricuspid regurgitant velocity