Hemodynamic assessment in patients with preterm premature rupture of the membranes (pPROM)

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the hemodynamic differences in women with pPROM versus physiological pregnancies. Study design: This was a prospective case control study of 15 patients with pPROM and 45 controls. Patients and controls were submitted at enrollment to a non-invasive hemodynamic evaluation with UltraSonic Cardiac Output Monitor (USCOM), and to blood tests to check white blood cells count and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. We followed pPROM patients until delivery noting fetal/neonatal and maternal unfavorable outcomes (maternal fever, APGAR 1' and 5'< 7, stillbirth). Results: Patients with pPROM showed higher values of cardiac output (9.1 +/- 2.3 vs 7.1 +/- 0.85, p < 0.01), lower systemic vascular resistances (792.1 +/- 162 vs 1006.2 +/- 110.7, p < 0.01), higher minute distance (32.3 +/- 7.8 vs 25 +/- 2.8, p < 0.01), lower Potential to Kinetic Energy Ratio (16.5 +/- 5.3 vs 22.4 +/- 6.8, p < 0.01), higher heart rate (97.5 +/- 15.4 vs 82.4 +/- 12, p < 0.01) and higher oxygen delivery (1313.2 +/- 325.8 vs 1080.7 +/- 151.8, p < 0.01) vs. controls. Six out of 15 pPROM patients had an unfavorable outcome. There were no significant differences in CRP levels and WBC count at admission in the two pPROM subgroups, whereas maternal hemodynamics was characterized by lower SVR (718 +/- 72 vs 863 +/- 123, p = 0.02) in subsequently complicated patients. Conclusions: Maternal hemodynamics is altered in pPROM patients, with a lower Systemic Vascular Resistance and higher Cardiac Output vs. controls. This hyperdynamic circulation appears to anticipates the changes of serum markers of inflammation (CRP, WBC count) and seems to be more pronounced at admission in pPROM patients developing unfavorable outcomes.

Automated summary

This study aimed to assess the hemodynamic differences between women with pPROM and normal pregnancies. The results showed that pPROM patients had higher cardiac output, lower systemic vascular resistances, higher heart rate, and higher oxygen delivery compared to controls. The altered hemodynamics seemed to anticipate the changes in inflammatory markers and were more pronounced in pPROM patients with unfavorable outcomes.