Color Doppler study of uterine vasculature in pregnancy induced hypertension

Abstract

Objectives: 1. To study the blood flow pattern of uterine vessels in pregnancy induced hypertension by Color Doppler. 2. To assess the predictive value of Color Doppler Studies of uterine blood flow patterns for perinatal outcome.

Materials and Methods: The period of our study was for 2 years at a tertiary care hospital in rural area in RMC Loni.50 cases diagnosed as pregnancy induced hypertension beyond 28 weeks of gestation, i.e, period of viability of fetus were screened by Color Doppler for uterine artery during the above-mentioned period. Outcome of these pregnancies was then collected.It included the gestational age of delivery, mode of delivery, birthweight, APGAR score, still births andlivebirths.

Results: In this study birth weight in grams in>36 weeks gestation at delivery showed highly significant difference between the present (1767+209.83) and absent (2289.98+358.96) diastolic notch group indicating that birth weight of the neonate was affected by the presence of diastolic notch. Similarly neonatal mortality was more(45.45%) in case of patients with presence of uterine artery diastolic notch as compared to absence of diastolic notch(0) which was statistically significant. Morbidity was 36.36% in diastolic notch group as compared to diastolic notch absent group (14.28%).

Conclusion: Doppler is an excellent armamentarium in the hands of obstetrician for non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring of PIH patients to identify the fetuses at risks and predicting perinatal morbidity and mortality. Doppler velocimetry gives us the idea about correct time of intervention so as to get good perinatal outcome thus preventing high fetal mortality and morbidity in hypertensive patients.