Fetal heart rate influence on the pulsatility index in the middle cerebral artery

✍ Scribed by Giancarlo Mari; Kenneth J. Moise Jr.; Russell L. Deter; Robert J. Carpenter jR.; Nathan Wasserstrum

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1991
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 440 KB
• Volume: 19
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0091-2751
• DOI: 10.1002/jcu.1870190305

✦ Synopsis

In 1300 Doppler assessments performed on the fetal cerebral arteries, 5 cases of heart rate deceleration were recorded while studying the middle cerebral artery. There were 3 normal fetuses (mean menstrual age k standard deviation: 28.6 * 2.1 weeks), one growth-retarded fetus (34 weeks, menstrual age) and 1 fetus with red cell alloimmunization (27 weeks, menstrual age). The magnitude of decline in the heart rate during the deceleration ranged from 44 to 93 bpm (67 -+ 18 bprn). Pulsatility index values were calculated on 44 waveforms and correlated with the heart rate.

Linear regression analysis showed a statistically significant inverse correlation between the heart rate and the pulsatility index in the middle cerebral artery of 4 fetuses. These results indicate that heart rate will affect the pulsatility index of the middle cerebral artery.