Rational use of Doppler ultrasound in perinatal medicine. 1994

K Marsál
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Lund, Malmö General Hospital, Sweden.

Doppler ultrasound velocimetry of uteroplacental, umbilical and fetal vessels provides the clinician with important information on the hemodynamics of respective vascular area. Gestational age-related reference values have been established for maternal uterine and arcuate artery, umbilical artery, fetal descending aorta, and fetal cerebral, renal and femoral arteries. Recently, velocimetry of the fetal central venous system gained increasing attention. In growth-retarded fetuses and fetuses developing intrauterine distress, the umbilical artery blood velocity waveform changes in a typical way: the diastolic velocity of the waveform decreases and eventually disappears. The absent or reverse end-diastolic flow (ARED flow) is associated with high risk of intrauterine demise and adverse perinatal outcome. Applied as a screening test in an unselected pregnant population, umbilical artery velocimetry has not been found useful. In a preselected population of high-risk pregnancies, especially pregnancies with SGA fetuses, the method has a high predictive value with regard to diagnosing fetal compromise and can be used for monitoring fetal health. A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials showed that including Doppler velocimetry in the management of high-risk pregnancies lowers the perinatal mortality. Follow-up studies, few published so far, showed an association between the abnormal intrauterine umbilical and/or fetal blood flow and subsequent postnatal neurodevelopmental impairment. Doppler velocimetry of umbilical artery applied in management of high risk pregnancies improves the perinatal outcome and can thus be considered a clinical method of fetal surveillance.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011247 Pregnancy The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH. Gestation,Pregnancies
D001783 Blood Flow Velocity A value equal to the total volume flow divided by the cross-sectional area of the vascular bed. Blood Flow Velocities,Flow Velocities, Blood,Flow Velocity, Blood,Velocities, Blood Flow,Velocity, Blood Flow
D005260 Female Females
D005333 Fetus The unborn young of a viviparous mammal, in the postembryonic period, after the major structures have been outlined. In humans, the unborn young from the end of the eighth week after CONCEPTION until BIRTH, as distinguished from the earlier EMBRYO, MAMMALIAN. Fetal Structures,Fetal Tissue,Fetuses,Mummified Fetus,Retained Fetus,Fetal Structure,Fetal Tissues,Fetus, Mummified,Fetus, Retained,Structure, Fetal,Structures, Fetal,Tissue, Fetal,Tissues, Fetal
D005500 Follow-Up Studies Studies in which individuals or populations are followed to assess the outcome of exposures, procedures, or effects of a characteristic, e.g., occurrence of disease. Followup Studies,Follow Up Studies,Follow-Up Study,Followup Study,Studies, Follow-Up,Studies, Followup,Study, Follow-Up,Study, Followup
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014469 Umbilical Arteries Specialized arterial vessels in the umbilical cord. They carry waste and deoxygenated blood from the FETUS to the mother via the PLACENTA. In humans, there are usually two umbilical arteries but sometimes one. Arteries, Umbilical,Artery, Umbilical,Umbilical Artery
D016032 Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic Works about clinical trials that involve at least one test treatment and one control treatment, concurrent enrollment and follow-up of the test- and control-treated groups, and in which the treatments to be administered are selected by a random process, such as the use of a random-numbers table. Clinical Trials, Randomized,Controlled Clinical Trials, Randomized,Trials, Randomized Clinical
D016216 Ultrasonography, Prenatal The visualization of tissues during pregnancy through recording of the echoes of ultrasonic waves directed into the body. The procedure may be applied with reference to the mother or the fetus and with reference to organs or the detection of maternal or fetal disease. Fetal Ultrasonography,Prenatal Diagnosis, Ultrasonic,Ultrasonography, Fetal,Diagnosis, Prenatal Ultrasonic,Diagnosis, Ultrasonic Prenatal,Prenatal Ultrasonic Diagnosis,Prenatal Ultrasonography,Ultrasonic Diagnosis, Prenatal,Ultrasonic Prenatal Diagnosis,Diagnoses, Prenatal Ultrasonic,Diagnoses, Ultrasonic Prenatal,Prenatal Diagnoses, Ultrasonic,Prenatal Ultrasonic Diagnoses,Ultrasonic Diagnoses, Prenatal,Ultrasonic Prenatal Diagnoses
D018608 Ultrasonography, Doppler Ultrasonography applying the Doppler effect, with frequency-shifted ultrasound reflections produced by moving targets (usually red blood cells) in the bloodstream along the ultrasound axis in direct proportion to the velocity of movement of the targets, to determine both direction and velocity of blood flow. (Stedman, 25th ed) Doppler Ultrasonography,Doppler Ultrasound,Doppler Ultrasound Imaging,Doppler Ultrasound Imagings,Doppler Ultrasounds,Imaging, Doppler Ultrasound,Imagings, Doppler Ultrasound,Ultrasound Imaging, Doppler,Ultrasound Imagings, Doppler,Ultrasound, Doppler,Ultrasounds, Doppler

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