Key result
Prenatal fetal echocardiography demonstrated complete diagnostic agreement with postnatal findings in 70.8% of cases (63 of 89), with minor discrepancies in 25 cases and major disagreement in 1 case.
Why the study?
Does prenatal fetal echocardiography accurately diagnose fetal cardiac conditions compared to postnatal diagnosis in referred pregnant women?
Observational (n=190)
No
Does prenatal fetal echocardiography accurately diagnose fetal cardiac conditions compared to postnatal diagnosis in referred pregnant women?
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Prenatal fetal echocardiography demonstrates high diagnostic accuracy when compared to postnatal findings, supporting its utility in pregnancy management.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of prenatal fetal echocardiography. METHODS: The study was a retrospective chart review of 190 consecutive patients over a 3-year period from November 1998 to February 2002 of all women referred to the Maternal Fetal Medicine unit, Mater Mothers Hospital, for fetal echocardiography. The prenatal diagnosis was compared with the postnatal diagnosis made by postnatal echocardiography, surgical findings or post-mortem. The accuracy of prenatal diagnosis was described on a predetermined 4-point scale. RESULTS: Of the 89 patients, for whom complete diagnostic follow-up was available, there was complete agreement between the prenatal and postnatal diagnosis in 63 cases, minor discrepancies in 25 cases and major disagreement in 1 case. CONCLUSIONS: In experienced hands, fetal echocardiography is accurate and allows medical staff and patients information in order manage a pregnancy appropriately.
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Shub et al. (2004) conducted an observational in Pregnancy referred for fetal echocardiography (n=190). Prenatal fetal echocardiography vs. Postnatal diagnosis (echocardiography, surgical findings, or post-mortem) was evaluated on Diagnostic accuracy (agreement between prenatal and postnatal diagnosis). Prenatal fetal echocardiography demonstrated complete diagnostic agreement with postnatal findings in 70.8% of cases (63 of 89), with minor discrepancies in 25 cases and major disagreement in 1 case.
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