Search

Examination of the uteroplacental hemodynamics was performed on 109 occasions in women admitted to the hospital in the third trimester because of various complications of pregnancy. The radioactive tracer 113m In was injected intravenously and the build-up and equilibrium times were measured over the placenta, myometrium and heart. The placental build-up times were most informative, with prolonged values being recorded in about one quarter of these cases. When those extending beyond three minutes were further studied, they were usually found to be associated with severe complications of pregnancy. This did not obtain in cases with shorter placental build-up times.

In the present work, an attempt has been made to verify whether Complamin improves placental circulation as suggested by several authors. Complamin was administered intravenously to patients in the last trimester of pregnancy and its action on blood pool dynamics was examined over 30 min. The results from 30 investigations showed that a significant reduction in uteroplacental blood pool occurred. The production of placental hypovolaemia, which led to a reduction in blood pool of more than 30% in some cases, is regarded as a potential danger to the fetus.

The action of 2,6-bis(diethanolamino)-4,8-dipiperidinopyrimido-(5,4-d)pyrimidine (dipyridamole, Persantin) on utero-placental and cardiac blood pool dynamics was examined in 12 pregnant women. 113mIndium was injected i.v. and blood pool changes in the heart, placenta and myometrium were registered by external measurement of the gamma-activity. While there was a significant decrease in blood pool of the heart after dipyridamole, there were no marked changes in the blood pools of placenta or myometrium. The decrease in cardiac blood pool was interpreted as a sign of an increase in the cardiac output.