ROLE OF DOPPLER ULTRASOUND IN PREGNANCY INDUCED HYPERTENSION

INTRODUCTION: With the advent of B-mode and Doppler USG, it became possible to see specific vessels and to sample waveforms, providing a window into the feto-placental circulation. AIM AND OBJECTIVE: To assess the blood flow in umbilical artery, middle cerebral artery and uterine artery using Doppler ultrasound in patients with pregnancy induced hypertension and its role in predicting the peri-natal outcome. MATERIALS AND METHOD: It was a one year hospital based prospective study. A total of 120 ante-natal patients were studied. All antenatal cases more than 24 weeks of gestation clinically diagnosed as Pregnancy Induced Hypertension were taken for the study. RESULTS: The study showed that in patients with Absent End Diastolic Flow (AEDF) and Reverse End Diastolic Flow (REDF) of Umbilical Artery, the abnormal fetal outcome was 100%. The abnormal fetal outcome was 94.4% with bilateral uterine artery notch presentation, 90% with unilateral notch. In predicting adverse perinatal outcome UA PI has got the highest sensitivity among other parameters i.e. 84.2 %. While bilateral Ut A notch has got the highest specificity of 95.4 %. CONCLUSION: Thus, Colour Doppler study is a simple, quick and non-invasive procedure for ante-partum foetal surveillance in patients with PIH.