Umbilical artery pulsatility index and placental vascular resistance during acute hypoxemia in fetal lambs.

The effect of hypoxemia on the pulsatility index (PI) of the umbilical artery flow velocity waveform and placental vascular resistance was studied. Fetal hypoxemia was induced by maternal breathing of a low-oxygen gas mixture. Umbilical venous blood flow was measured with an electromagnetic flowmeter. Placental vascular resistance (PVR) was defined as the ratio perfusion pressure (mean arterial pressure minus umbilical venous pressure) and umbilical blood flow. Umbilical artery velocity waveforms were obtained by a 5-MHz pulsed Doppler device around one umbilical artery in 4 lambs and by a transcutaneous 4-MHz continuous wave Doppler transducer in 3 lambs. Fetal arterial oxygen content was lowered from 2.28 +/- 0.18 to 0.93 +/- 0.15 mM (p less than 0.05), while pCO2 and pH remained unchanged. Control values of the hemodynamic variables were compared with values during deepest hypoxemia. Fetal heart rate, mean arterial and umbilical venous pressure, PVR and the umbilical artery PI did not significantly change, whereas umbilical blood flow increased from 436 +/- 64.7 to 491 +/- 65.9 ml/min (p less than 0.05) during deepest hypoxemia. Individual regression analysis, however, showed a significant inverse correlation of umbilical venous pressure whereas PVR had a positive correlation with actual oxygen content. It is concluded that acute fetal hypoxemia slightly decreases PVR, but does not affect the umbilical artery PI in sheep. Decreasing fetal oxygenation is associated with an increase in pressure in the umbilical vein.