Uterine Artery Pulsatility Index as a Pre-eclampsia Predictor in the 3 Trimesters in Women with Singleton Pregnancies

Índice de pulsatilidade da artéria uterina como preditor de pré-eclâmpsia nos 3 trimestres em mulheres com gestações únicas

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the mean uterine artery pulsatility index (UtAPI) in each trimester of pregnancy as a predictor of early or late pre-eclampsia (PE) in Colombian pregnant women.

Methods

The UtAPI was measured in singleton pregnancies in each trimester. Uterine artery pulsatility index as predictor of PE was evaluated by odds ratio (OR), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and Kaplan-Meier diagram.

Results

Analysis in the 1^st and 3^rd trimester showed that abnormal UtAPI was associated with early PE (OR: 5.99: 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.64–21.13; and OR: 10.32; 95%CI: 2.75–42.49, respectively). Sensitivity and specificity were 71.4 and 79.6%, respectively, for developing PE (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.922). The Kaplan-Meier curve showed that a UtAPI of 0.76 (95%CI: 0.58–1.0) in the 1^st trimester was associated with early PE, and a UtAPI of 0.73 (95%CI: 0.55–0.97) in the 3^rd trimester was associated with late PE.

Conclusion

Uterine arteries proved to be a useful predictor tool in the 1^st and 3^rd trimesters for early PE and in the 3^rd trimester for late PE in a pregnant population with high prevalence of PE.

Keywords
uterine artery doppler; preeclampsia; pregnancy; perinatal care; screening