Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Doppler ultrasound of the uterine artery can help clinicians predict future complications in high-risk pregnancies, according to a German study we're featuring this week in our Ultrasound Digital Community.
The researchers employed Doppler ultrasound to examine the modality's value in predicting severe complications in both high-risk and low-risk pregnancies, according to staff writer Erik L. Ridley.
The modality showed its greatest utility in the high-risk group, and the researchers found two key parameters that can be indicators of future problems if they show up on Doppler ultrasound scans. Doppler US wasn't as useful in the low-risk group, however.
The researchers concluded that conducting a Doppler uterine artery scan at the same time a fetal anomaly scan is performed can be an effective way to tailor antenatal care for pregnant women based on their risk profile. Read all about it by clicking here.
Ultrasound also got a big boost this week from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which issued a recommendation calling for the use of the modality to screen older men who have smoked for abdominal aortic aneurysm. Could ultrasound join mammography as the next big screening modality? Find out by clicking here.
