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Standards in fetal monitoring—practical requirements for uterine activity measurement and recording
Author(s) -
Steer P. J.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1993.tb10634.x
Subject(s) - uterine contraction , contractility , medicine , fetal heart rate , blood pressure , heart rate , cardiology , uterus
External monitoring of uterine contractility in human labour can record contraction frequency accurately, but cannot determine true intra‐uterine pressure reliably. It is therefore suitable for use in spontaneous labour where there is a need for a marker of contractions to aid in continuous fetal heart rate pattern interpretation. Intra‐uterine pressure measurement can provide quantitative information more reliably over intervals of 10–60 minutes. Although active pressure values for individual contractions can vary by up to 50% when measured simultaneously by two or more intra‐uterine catheters/transducers, this variation is not systematic and cumulative measures vary by less than 5%. The measurement of baseline tone is affected by variables not related to uterine activity and should therefore be excluded when quantitative measures are made.