Reproducibility of transabdominal and transvaginal Doppler flow of uterine arteries during the first trimester

Methods First trimester (1113+6 weeks’ gestation)TA and TV Doppler measurements of UtA were performed prospectively in 87 and 54 women, respectively. All examinations were performed blindly, by 3 FMF accredited operators and repeated twice. Operator A performed all measurements, operator B and C, who were less experienced, performed 21 and 53 measurements, respectively. To assess generalizability the measurements were performed with 2 different ultrasound systems: VolusonE8 (42 patients) and Aloka Alpha 6 (32 patients). IAR and IOR were assessed by Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and Concordance Correlation Coefficient (CCC). Limits of Agreement (LoA) were calculated for the measurements of operator A. Correlations between BMI, time to get the first TA and TV measurement and repeatability were calculated by Pearson correlation coefficient.