SERIAL CHANGES IN PULMONARY HEMODYNAMIC DURING PREGNANCY: A NON INVASIVE STUDY USING DOPPLER ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY (RESEARCH ARTICLE)

Aim: To assess pulmonary hemodynamic changes through colour Doppler Echocardiography along with clinical profile amongst pregnant women during the course of pregnancy . Materials and Methods: Pulmonary hemodynamic parameters were longitudinally assessed in 75 women (60 p regnant and 15 non - pregnant women) attending Department of Medicine and Department of obstetrics and Gynecology of LLRM Medical College, Meerut from I trimester to III trimester of Pregnancy and 6 weeks after delivery. Mean Pulmonary artery pressure was ca lculated from pulsed Doppler pulmonary velocities. Pulmonary flow was measured by Doppler and cross sectional echocardiography. These two measurements were used to calculate pulmonary v ascular resistance . Results: Echocardiographically, Pulmonary artery pr essures revealed a moderate rising trend with advancement of pregnancy, but it was not found to reach statistical significance. Longitudinal estimation of pulmonary vascular resistance revealed fall of 15% in first trimester and up to 17.5% in second trime ster, with a trend of returning of baseline values by the end of 6 weeks of Puerperium . Conclusion: There was significant increase in mean pulmonary blood flow, significant decrease in pulmonary vascular resistance, no statistical increase in pulmonary artery pressure with advancement of pregnancy