Does measurement of absolute velocity by Doppler examination of pregnant patients contribute additional valuable information?
Meyberg, G.C.; Sohn, C.
Zentralblatt für Gynakologie 117(6): 297-299
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0044-4197 PMID: 7645356 Document Number: 454055
Ultrasonics is very important for the control of risk pregnancies. Routinely, Doppler-ratios are used to assess fetal danger. The aim of the presented study was to clarify whether measurement of absolute blood flow velocity is useful for the assessment of fetal development as well. For this purpose we examined the fetal aorta in 149 patients: 90 patients with fetal growth retarded fetuses and 59 patients with normally developed fetuses. Systolic and diastolic peak velocities and the resistance index (RI) were measured. The absolute velocities did not show any correlation to the fetal growth. Moreover, there was no correlation between systolic peak velocity and resistance index, independent of degree of pathology. The diastolic peak velocity however correlated with high significance to the RI thus being directly dependent.