This project will compare the use of ultrasound of the chest for the detection of fluid in the lungs in patients with pre-eclampsia vs pregnant patients without pre-eclampsia. Patients admitted to the obstetrical service will be recruited for study enrollment. We will divide our patients into two groups. In the study group, we will include patients with pre-eclampsia with or without shortness of breath, and in the control group, we will include otherwise healthy pregnant patients. We will exclude patients who are in labor or who are undergoing induction. Informed consent will be obtained from all patients enrolled in the study.
Study subjects will then undergo an ultrasound of the chest, performed by a member of the Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Division, who have experience in performing lung ultrasounds. Both hemithoraces will be divided into 4 zones: anterior inferior, anterior superior, lateral inferior, and lateral superior. Each zone will be assessed for the presence of B-lines. For a zone to be considered "positive" for pulmonary edema, there should to be a minimum of 3 B-lines. To diagnose a patient with pulmonary edema, at least two zones in both hemithoraces must be positive. The study investigator will document the presence of B-lines in each particular zone on the data collection sheet. Brief representative video clips will be recorded for each zone.
After completing the sonographic examination, the images will be transmitted wirelessly from the ultrasound machine to a secure web based cloud (Q-path) and will be subsequently interpreted by expert reviewers who will be blinded to any clinical information about the patient. They will also document their findings on a separate data collection sheet.
