Renal blood flow pattern by noninvasive Doppler ultrasound in normal children and acute renal failure patients.

A pilot study of the Doppler renal arterial flow pattern was done in a group of 38 normal children, including 11 neonates age 2 weeks or less, 10 infants age 2 weeks to 1 year, and 17 children age 1 year and over. The appearance time, acceleration time, end-diastolic to peak-systolic velocity ratio (d/S), and diastolic to systolic flow ratio (A2/A1) increased with age. Another four patients with acute renal failure showed a characteristic absence of blood flow in the whole or late-diastolic phase. Diastolic flow reappeared with recovery. Doppler renal arterial flow pattern may be a noninvasive investigation of diagnostic and prognostic value.