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Intrauterine temperature during intrapartum amnioinfusion: a prospective observational study
Author(s) -
Tomlinson TM,
Schaecher C,
Sadovsky Y,
Gross G
Publication year - 2012
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.1471-0528.2012.03322.x
Subject(s) - amnioinfusion , medicine , obstetrics , prospective cohort study , gestation , pregnancy , observational study , cohort study , gynecology , oligohydramnios , surgery , biology , genetics
Please cite this paper as: Tomlinson T, Schaecher C, Sadovsky Y, Gross G. Intrauterine temperature during intrapartum amnioinfusion: a prospective observational study. BJOG 2012;119:958–963. Objective To determine the influence of routine intrapartum amnioinfusion (AI) on intrauterine temperature. Design Prospective observational study. Setting Maternity unit, Barnes Jewish Hospital, St Louis, MO, USA. Sample Forty women with singleton gestations and an indication for intrapartum intrauterine pressure catheter placement. Methods Using a temperature probe, we digitally recorded intrauterine temperature every 10 minutes during labour. Amnioinfusion was administered according to a standard protocol using saline equilibrated to the ambient temperature. Main outcome measure Mean intrauterine temperature during labour. Results Participants were monitored for a mean of 280 minutes (range 20–820). A total of 164 intrauterine temperature readings in the AI cohort were compared with 797 control measurements. When compared with controls, we observed a lower intrauterine temperature in the AI cohort (36.4 versus 37.4°C, P < 0.01). More measurements in the AI cohort were recorded in the presence of intrapartum fever (40% versus 30%). A subgroup analysis of measurements recorded in afebrile parturients revealed an even greater effect of AI (1.5°C decrease, 37.3 versus 35.8°C, P < 0.01). Conclusion Routine intrapartum AI using saline equilibrated to a mean ambient temperature of 25.0°C reduces intrauterine temperature and may thereby affect fetal core temperature.