Evaluation of Electrical Velocimetry for Assessment of Extra-vascular Lung Water in Pre-eclamptic Patients

Overview

The purpose of this study is to compare the sensitivity and the specificity of electrical cardiometry to the lung ultrasound in measuring thoracic lung water in pregnant females with pre-eclampsia. If electrical cardiometry is validated against ultrasound, it will be easy to use with numerical number that will not require advanced experience as with the ultrasound.

Pre-eclampsia is accompanied with increased risk of serious complications such as pulmonary edema, cerebrovascular accidents, coagulopathy, and hemorrhage. Pre-eclampsia is responsible for 46.6% of the etiology of acute pulmonary edema in pregnant women. Fluid management in pre-eclamptic patients is challenging. Hypovolemia exacerbates organ failure, whereas volume overload results in pulmonary edema. Thus, using different methods for evaluation of volume status of the patients would improve patient management. Lung ultrasound has been developed as an accurate non-invasive method for assessment of extra-vascular lung water; However, ultrasound needs skilled operator. Electrical velocimetry (cardiometry) is a newer technology for assessment of total thoracic fluid content (TFC); however, it has not been validated in pre-eclamptic patients. In this study the investigators will validate the accuracy of cardiometry in evaluation of lung water using the lung ultrasound as a gold standard. Both methods will be evaluated for prediction of the need of diuretic therapy and the need for post-operative oxygen therapy.

Conditions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes