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Haemodynamic assessment of fetal heart arrhythmias
Author(s) -
LINGMAN GÖRAN,
DAHLSTRÖM JANANDERS,
EIKNES STURLA H.,
MARŠÁL KAREL,
OHLIN PER,
OHRLANDER STEN
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1984.tb04824.x
Subject(s) - medicine , cardiology , fetus , descending aorta , inferior vena cava , atrioventricular block , blood flow , anesthesia , aorta , pregnancy , genetics , biology
Summary. The effects of fetal heart arrhythmias were examined serially in two pregnancies by three non‐invasive methods: fetal ECG, fetal phonocardiography and ultrasonic measurement of fetal blood flow. In a case of supraventricular arrhythmia, there was evidence suggesting that the stroke volume varied with ventricular filling according to the Frank ‐ Starling law. In a case of total atrioventricular block the mean blood flow in the fetal descending aorta and in the umbilical vein was within the normal range. Blood flow velocity in the inferior vena cava of the fetus reflected atrial contractions. In the phonocardiogram, a phenomenon similar to‘bruit de canon’ was found. Both pregnancies had good outcomes and subsequent development of the infants was normal except for the persisting dysrhythmias. The two cases exemplify how fetal heart function can be assessed in utero.