Accuracy of the umbilical arteries Doppler flow velocity waveforms in detecting adverse perinatal outcomes in a high-risk population.

Objective: To define the accuracy of the umbilical artery Doppler flow velocity waveforms, according to different cut-off values, in predicting adverse perinatal outcomes among fetuses at high risk of hypoxic complications.

Subjects: Two hundred and sixty-five pregnant women with diagnosis of small for gestational age fetus and/or pregnancy induced hypertension studied in four Italian ultrasound units.

Methods: Prospective study.

Repeated albumin infusions do not lower blood pressure in preeclampsia.

Since intravascular volume contraction is regarded as an important pathological feature in preeclampsia, it has been proposed that plasma volume expansion could be a therapeutic manoeuver that interrupts the pathogenetic chain of hypovolemia inducing increased vascular resistance. Furthermore, tissue perfusion should be improved and, if albumin is used as plasma expander agent, interstitial edema should also be reduced. We report the results observed in an open pilot study in ten preeclamptic patients treated with daily albumin infusions (0.

Ratio between aldosterone and atrial natriuretic peptide in pregnancy.

The possibility of evaluating the ratio between aldosterone and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) instead of the two hormones by themselves in studying sodium handling in normal pregnancy and in preeclampsia in the steady state and following albumin infusion was examined in this study. In 32 normal pregnancies monitored monthly, the highest aldosterone/ANP ratio was observed in the last weeks (28.7 +/- 12), and dropped in the first postpartum week (3.