Cardiac Flow Measurements in Pregnant Women by Non Invasive Techniques: Comparison Between USCOM, ICON and Trans Thoracic Echography

It is a Prospective cross sectional study

The study design does not allow for randomisation or double-blinding.

Patients will be enrolled in the first trimester of pregnancy and offered the study at the 10 gestational week (GW) consultation. After signing and giving informed consent, the research nurse or midwife will schedule the specific consultation from between 12 to and 16+6 Weeks of Amenorrhea (WA) (cardiac output rise from 5 weeks of gestation to 16 weeks of gestation and then stay at the same level) and in the 3rd trimester from between 32 to and 36+6 WA. Patients will therefore be included from the beginning of their pregnancy until their delivery, i.e. approximately 7 months All pregnant patients will each have a measurement in left lateral decubitus by the 3 devices from 12 to 16+6 WA and another set of measurement between 32 and 36+6 WA.

During the specific consultations organized (eg on Tuesday mornings), a designed medical professional will carry out measurement with the 3 different devices in a room accordingly with an examination table allowing the left lateral decubitus. At each consultation parameters such as weight, height of the patient, cardiac frequency, blood pressure will be recorded.

Each consultation is expected to last 30 minutes: The ICON will be placed at the beginning of the consultation and the measurements will be taken at the same time as the trans thoracic ultrasound in the left lateral decubitus position. The trans thoracic echography would be carried out with cardiac classic sections to ensure the structural cardiac and valvular normality and then sections repeated 3 times over 10 minutes will be carried out to calculate the cardiac output. Afterwards, measurements will be made with USCOM in left lateral position and 3 of the best spectra archived according to the Fremantle score.