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. 2021 Jul;7(4):1297-1302.
doi: 10.1002/vms3.463. Epub 2021 Mar 1.

Doppler ultrasound measurements of the blood flow velocity in the fetal heart and aorta in Bulgarian White milk goats

Ivan R Fasulkov  1 , Manol Karadaev  1 , Nasko Vasilev  1 , Kalin Hristov  2 , Ivan Fedev  3
Affiliations

Doppler ultrasound measurements of the blood flow velocity in the fetal heart and aorta in Bulgarian White milk goats

Ivan R Fasulkov et al. Vet Med Sci. 2021 Jul.

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to determine the parameters characterising the blood flow velocity in the fetal heart and aorta in goats by Doppler ultrasonography. Twenty-four Bulgarian White milk goats, aged 4-6 years, weighing 45-51 kg were used in the study. Doppler ultrasound measurements of the blood flow velocity in fetal heart were done at the end of first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy, and in the fetal aorta - at the end of the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Ultrasound investigations were carried out by transabdominal approach with linear and convex transducers, with frequency 8.0 MHz. Blood flow parameters that included maximum and minimum systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, pulsatility index, resistance index and systolic/diastolic ratio were measured by spectral Doppler ultrasonography. The results showed that the highest maximum systolic velocity in the fetal heart was observed at the end of the first pregnancy trimester. Statistically significantly (p < 0.05) lower values of this parameter were registered in the second and third pregnancy trimesters. A similar tendency was observed for minimum systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity and systolic/diastolic ratio. The pulsatility index and resistance index had similar values for the three studied periods. Examination of the fetal aorta showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) of minimum systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, pulsatility and resistance index in the third, compared with the second trimester of pregnancy. The analysis of the results suggested that Doppler ultrasonography can be used to monitor fetal blood flow changes during the various stages of pregnancy.

Keywords: Doppler; aorta; fetal heart; goats; ultrasonography.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to declare.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Colour Doppler ultrasonography of the fetal heart (a) and fetal aorta (b) in the 90th day of pregnancy in a goat
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Colour Doppler ultrasonography of the fetal heart (a) and fetal aorta (b) in the 133th day of pregnancy in a goat
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Continious‐wave spectral Doppler of the fetal heart (a) and aorta (b) in a goat
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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