The prognostic role of uterine artery Doppler investigation in patients with severe early-onset preeclampsia

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prediction capacity of uterine artery Doppler investigation for maternal and neonatal complications in women who are admitted with severe early-onset preeclampsia. STUDY DESIGN: A uterine artery Doppler examination was performed at admission for patients with severe early-onset (<34 weeks of gestation) preeclampsia. The maternal and neonatal outcome of women with abnormal uterine Doppler results was compared with those with normal Doppler results. RESULTS: One hundred twenty patients were included. In 53% of them, uterine Doppler results were abnormal. This group had a lower gestational age at delivery (30.2 vs 32.7 weeks; P < .001) and a higher proportion of small-for-gestational age infants (87.5% vs 67.9%; P = .009). Neonatal (40.6% vs 14.3%; P = .01) and maternal (28.1% vs 5.4%; P = .001) complications were more common in the abnormal uterine Doppler group. CONCLUSION: Women with severe early-onset preeclampsia are at higher risk of maternal and neonatal complications if abnormal uterine blood flow is present.