Placental vascular resistance using umbilical velocimetry in patients undergoing cesarean section for fetal distress

Peak systolic (S) to lowest end-diastolic (D) ratios (S/D) of umbilical velocimetry have been used to assess downstream placental vascular resistance and predict adverse pregnancy outcome. The purpose of this study is to assess S/D ratios in patients undergoing cesarean section for clinical fetal distress. Fifty-six patients were identified who had umbilical velocimetry performed during antepartum fetal surveillance (nonstress testing and amniotic fluid index) within 7 days of undergoing cesarean section for fetal distress at Women's Hospital (Los Angeles, CA). The mean gestational age at delivery was 36.5 +/- 2.5 weeks. Thirty (53.6%) patients had elevated S/D ratios (greater than 3), 24 (42.9%) had abnormal amniotic fluid indices, and 20 (35.7%) had abnormal nonstress testing. Group 1 (N = 30) patients delivered small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses and group 2 (N = 26) patients delivered appropriately grown (AGA) fetuses. In group 1, 24 (80%) patients had abnormal S/D ratios and 16 (53.3%) had abnormal amniotic fluid indices, compared to only 6 (23.1%) with abnormal S/D ratios and 8 (30.8%) with abnormal amniotic fluid indices in group 2 (p less than .05). In contrast, 14 (53.8%) of the 26 patients in group 2 had abnormal nonstress testing compared to only 6 (20%) of the 30 patients in group 1 (p less than .05). Eighteen (69.2%) of the 26 patients in group 2 were post-term pregnancies; 20 (66.7%) of the 30 patients in group 1 had chronic hypertension, pregnancy-induced hypertension, or superimposed preeclampsia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)