Uterine Artery Doppler Velocimetry for the Prediction of Preeclampsia among High-risk Pregnancies in Low-resource Setting: Our Experience at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria

Abstract

ABSTRACT Several Doppler studies have demonstrated an association between increased impedance to flow in uterine arteries and subsequent development of preeclampsia. This study evaluated the usefulness of uterine artery Doppler velocimetry in the prediction of preeclampsia in high-risk pregnancies. The study was a prospective cohort study carried out on 138 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, a tertiary center in Northern Nigeria. Assessment of uterine artery blood flow by Doppler ultrasound was carried out at 20 to 24 weeks of gestation. The test was considered abnormal when the mean resistance index (RI) in the uterine arteries was .0.58 with or without diastolic notch (DN). The women were then followed up to determine those who developed preeclampsia. The prevalence of preeclampsia in this study was found to be 12.3%. Twenty one of the patients (15.2%) had high uterine artery RI (. 0.58), while 117 (84.8%) had normal RI (<0.58). The prevalence of preeclampsia was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the group with high RI than in the group with normal RI (57.1 compared with 4.2%). Nine of the patients (6.5%) had DN, while 129 (93.5%) had no DN. The prevalence of preeclampsia was also significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the group with DN than in the group with no DN (55 compared with 9.3%). Both the sensitivity (70.5%) and specificity (92.6%) of abnormal RI in the prediction of preeclampsia were found to be high. This study confirmed the efficacy of second trimester screening for preeclampsia in high-risk pregnancies using a combination of maternal characteristics and uterine artery Doppler. How to cite this article Yusuf M, Galadanci H, Ismail A, Aliyu LD, Danbatta AH. Uterine Artery Doppler Velocimetry for the Prediction of Preeclampsia among High-risk Pregnancies in Low-resource Setting: Our Experience at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria. Donald School J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2017;11(3):197-202.