Madurez fetal: utilidad de la estimación de la presión de la arteria pulmonar fetal

Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of the estimation of fetal pulmonary artery pressure obtained by doppler ultrasound as an indicator of fetal maturity and its correlation with neonatal outcomes in a group of patients attending the delivery room area of the Hospital Central de San Cristobal, between March and July 2023. Methods: This is an observational, descriptive, correlational study. The sample consisted of 90 women (90 fetuses) with a single pregnancy between 34 and 40 weeks of gestation. Results: From the doppler variables analyzed, it was evidenced that the fetal pulmonary artery pressure decreased significantly (p < 0.001) with advancing gestational age. It was determined that there is a significant inverse association between fetal pulmonary artery pressure and fetal maturity (p < 0.001), such that the lower the fetal pulmonary artery pressure value, the higher the percentage of fetal maturity. A fetal pulmonary artery pressure cut-off point located at 55.9 mm Hg jointly determined the highest sensitivity and specificity f or t he d iagnosis o f f etal l ung maturity, i ts s ensitivity being 93.75% and specificity being 80.77%. With a positive predictive value of 92.31% and a negative predictive value of 84%. Conclusion: The estimation of fetal pulmonary artery pressure obtained by doppler ultrasound is useful as an indicator of fetal maturity. Keywords: Doppler, Fetal pulmonary artery pressure, Fetal maturity, Cut-off point