Preeclampsia prediction similar, modest with two algorithms

(HealthDay)—Two algorithms offer similar and modest performance for predicting preeclampsia in nulliparous women at 11 to 13 weeks of gestation, according to a study published online Dec. 4 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology.

Ragnhild B. Skråstad, from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, and colleagues conducted a prospective screening study involving 541 nulliparous women at 11 to 13 weeks gestational age. The authors examined the First Trimester Screening Program version 2.8 by the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) and the Preeclampsia Predictor TM version 1 revision 2 by Perkin Elmer (PREDICTOR) for the prediction of preeclampsia.

The researchers observed similar performance for the two algorithms, which was quite poor. At a 10 percent fixed false positive rate, prediction of preeclampsia requiring delivery before 42 weeks had an area under the curve of 0.77 and sensitivity of 40 percent for the FMF algorithm, and an area under the curve of 0.74 and sensitivity of 30 percent for the PREDICTOR algorithm. At a 10 percent fixed false positive rate, the area under the curve was 0.94 and sensitivity 80 percent for the FMF algorithm for preeclampsia requiring delivery before 37 weeks.

"Fetal Medicine Foundation and PREDICTOR algorithms had similar and only modest performance in predicting preeclampsia," the authors write.

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