Assessment for Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy

a?c Adjunctive use of easily-obtainable maternal sonographic vascular measurements assessing volume status, cardiac output, and systemic vascular resistance by means of inferior vena cava collapsibility/caval index (ICV CI), end-point septal separation (EPSS) for determining left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), cardiac output determination (stroke volume x heart rate), stroke volume variation, & radial artery resistance index) augments standard vital sign assessment (pulse pressure and systolic / diastolic predominance) in clinical decision-making potentially leading to more appropriate pharmacologic and clinical therapies with faster resolution of severe hypertension among pregnant women and women in the postpartum period.