Stratification of pregnancy care based on risk of pre‐eclampsia derived from uterine artery Doppler at 19–24 weeks' gestation
Authors: Litwinska M. , Litwinska E. , Lisnere K. , Syngelaki A. , Wright A. , Nicolaides K. H. 
Published: March 2021

Objectives

There were two objectives of this study. First, to examine the value of uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA‐PI) at 19–24 weeks' gestation in the prediction of subsequent development of pre‐eclampsia (PE) and to compare the performance of screening between the use of, first, fixed cut‐offs of UtA‐PI, second, percentile cut‐offs of UtA‐PI adjusted for gestational age, third, a competing‐risks model combining maternal demographic characteristics and medical history with UtA‐PI, and, fourth, a competing‐risks model combining maternal factors with UtA‐PI and mean arterial pressure (MAP). Second, to stratify pregnancy care based on the estimated risk of PE at 19–24 weeks' gestation from UtA‐PI and combinations of maternal factors with UtA‐PI and MAP.

Methods

This was a prospective, non‐intervention study in women attending for an ultrasound scan at 19–24 weeks as part of routine pregnancy care. Patient‐specific risks of delivery with PE at < 36 weeks' gestation were calculated using the competing‐risks model to combine the prior distribution of the gestational age at delivery with PE, obtained from maternal characteristics and medical history, with multiples of the median (MoM) values of UtA‐PI and MAP. Different risk cut‐offs were used to vary the proportion of the population stratified into each risk category (very high risk, high risk, intermediate risk and low risk) with the intention of detecting about 80%, 85%, 90% and 95% of cases of delivery with PE at < 28, < 32 and < 36 weeks' gestation. We also examined the performance of screening by maternal factors and UtA‐PI MoM, fixed cut‐offs of UtA‐PI and percentile cut‐offs of UtA‐PI adjusted for gestational age. Calibration for risks for PE < 36 weeks' gestation by the combination of maternal factors, UtA‐PI MoM and MAP MoM was assessed by plotting the observed incidence of PE against the predicted incidence. Additionally, we developed reference ranges of transabdominal and transvaginal measurement of UtA‐PI according to gestational age.

Results

In the study population of 96 678 singleton pregnancies, there were 2866 (3.0%) that subsequently developed PE, including 467 (0.5%) that delivered at < 36 weeks' gestation. If the objective of screening was to identify about 90% of cases of delivery with PE at < 28, < 32 and < 36 weeks and the method of screening was a combination of maternal factors, UtA‐PI MoM and MAP MoM, the proportion of the population stratified into very high‐risk, high‐risk, intermediate‐risk and low‐risk groups would be 2.4%, 3.9%, 17.8% and 75.9%, respectively; the respective values were 6.0%, 3.0%, 21.0% and 70.0% if screening was by maternal factors and UtA‐PI MoM, 5.7%, 7.5%, 49.8% and 37.0% if screening was by fixed cut‐offs of UtA‐PI and 6.9%, 5.2%, 49.0% and 38.9% if screening was by percentile cut‐offs of UtA‐PI. In the validation of the prediction model based on a combination of maternal factors and MoM values of UtA‐PI and MAP, calibration plots demonstrated good agreement between the predicted risk and the observed incidence of PE.

Conclusions

All pregnant women should have screening for PE at 20 and 36 weeks' gestation. The findings at 20 weeks can be used to identify the subgroups that require additional monitoring and reassessment at 28 and 32 weeks. The performance of screening by a combination of maternal factors and MoM values of UtA‐PI and MAP at 19–24 weeks for delivery with PE at < 28, < 32 and < 36 weeks' gestation is superior to that of screening by a combination of maternal factors and UtA‐PI MoM, by fixed cut‐offs of UtA‐PI or by percentile cut‐offs of UtA‐PI. © 2021 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.