Femoral Artery Blood Flow in Infants and Children

Abstract

Background

We measured Doppler parameter of common femoral artery (CFA) blood flow in infants and children and investigated how far these parameters change with age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and body surface area (BSA).

Material and Methods

CFA was investigated in 97 infants and children (43 females, 54 males, ages ranged from 0.13 to 220 months) on both sides in a supine position after 5 min rest using a 7.5-MHz linear transducer (Type Elegra, Siemens, Germany) 1 cm proximal to the femoral bifurcation. Peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, blood flow volume, mean average velocity, resistance index, and pulsatility index were measured.

Results

Theoretically, Doppler parameters could change with age, height, weight, BMI, and BSA. Because age, weight, height, and BSA were highly correlated (Spearman correlation coefficient > 0.90) only one of these variables could be included in a regression model. Only diameter and flow velocity (FV) correlated with age and height. Peak systolic velocity, mean average velocity, pulsatility index, and resistance index did not. Correlation between BMI and age and BMI and height was small. A regression model for the natural logarithm of FV was estimated: ln(FV) = −5.853 + 0.021 height + 0.049 BMI (R² = 0.73, p < 0.0001 of height, p value of BMI: 0.028; p value of intercept: < 0.0001). The 95% confidence intervals were: −6.470 to −5.237 for the intercept, 0.006 to 0.093 for BMI, and 0.017 to 0.025 for height. Predicted FV and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated. The upper confidence limits were 8–10 times that of the lower ones.

Conclusion

Only FV showed height- and BMI-dependent changes in growing children. Prediction of FV in individual arteries was possible, but with a large range.