Antepartum assessment of the maternal peripheral venous system with light reflection rheology

The noninvasive detection of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in pregnancy is a significant problem. The Hemodynamics AV-1000 uses light reflection rheology in superficial capillaries to detect DVT but has not been evaluated adequately in pregnancy. Four hundred one pregnant women in the second and third trimesters were studied with the AV-1000; none had symptoms of DVT or thrombophlebitis, and all had uncomplicated pregnancy outcomes. AV-1000 reflection curves were related to maternal age, gestational age, weight gain, Quetelet index and device sensitivity settings. No statistically significant differences in test outcomes were found for any variable. The high incidence of abnormal (25%) and inadequate (19%) tracings, coupled with an overall specificity of 45%, suggests that the system would not be useful in distinguishing patients with DVT from normal ones and could lead to excessive follow-up testing.