Effective Triage and Monitoring of Early-Onset Preeclampsia Using Hemodynamic Markers

Joshua de Souza of Medtronic in the U.S. will develop a point-of-care device that measures key hemodynamic factors to screen and triage pregnant women for early-onset preeclampsia. The device will be handheld, wireless, battery-powered, and self-calibrating. When applied to the chest, it will non-invasively measure five parameters within one minute: cardiac output, blood pressure, heart rate, systemic vascular resistance, and an electrocardiogram, with data stored in the device for later downloading. They will test a prototype device with local collaborators in Nairobi, Kenya, comparing diagnostic results to the standard of care measurements of blood pressure and proteinuria. Care workers will use the device to screen and triage for early-onset preeclampsia in three antenatal care clinics, and community health workers will use it for home monitoring of pregnant women identified as at high risk. Patient data will be analyzed to develop models to better understand and predict early-onset preeclampsia.