RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To determine the correlation between Doppler fluxometry of middle/umbilical cerebral artery and the non-stress test as methods of antepartum fetal surveillance. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We made a cross-sectional study. There were included 161 patients with high risk pregnancies. We carried out the non-stress test and the middle/umbilical cerebral artery resistance index in these women. Apgar score and perinatal outcome of the newborns were registered. Correlation coefficient as well as the sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of the tests were calculated. RESULTS: For the non-stress test in perinatal death, a sensitivity of 0% and a specificity of 84% were obtained; for Apgar at five minutes, sensitivity was 50% and specificity was 85%. In relation to perinatal death, the middlelumbilical cerebral artery resistance index has a sensitivity and specificity of 100 and 91%, respectively; for Apgar score at five minutes, the values were 100 and 92%, respectively. Correlation coefficient for the middle/umbilical cerebral artery resistance index and the non-stress test was -0.257 (p = 0.0009). CONCLUSION: We found a correlation between the middle/umbilical cerebral artery resistance index and the non-stress test. This index had more sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing perinatal death and Apgar score, for this reason we recommend it as a first choice method of antepartum fetal surveillance.
