Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring On Labor and Delivery


Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring On Labor and Delivery

FHR Descriptive Vocabulary:
1)   Baseline: Mean FHR over a 10min segment; must be for minimum of 2min. Excludes variability, and accels/decels.
a.     Normal: 110-160bpm, Bradycardia <110, Tachycardia >160
2)   Baseline Variability: Fluctuations in the baseline FHR; irregular in amplitude and frequency.
a.     Absent: undetectable
b.     Minimal: detectable but <5bpm
c.      Moderate: (normal), 6-25bpm
d.     Marked: >25bpm
3)   Acceleration: Abrupt increase in FHR
a.     Prolonged: Lasts 2-10min; if >10min, is new baseline
b.     >32wks GA, accel is >15bpm above baseline, duration >15sec
c.      <32wks GA, accel is >10bpm above baseline, duration >10sec
4)   Early Decel: Symmetrical, gradual decrease and return of FHR, a/w uterine contraction. Gradual defined as onset of decel to nadir of >30sec. Lasts 15sec-2min. Nadir occurs at same time as peak of contraction. Usually onset and recovery coincide with beginning and end of contraction.
5)   Late Decel: Symmetrical, gradual decrease and return of FHR a/w uterine contraction. Gradual defined as onset of decel to nadir of >30sec. Lasts 15sec-2min. Decel is delayed in timing with nadir occurring after peak of contraction. Usually onset and recover occur after beginning and end of contraction, respectively.
6)   Variable Decel: Abrupt decrease in FHR, with onset of decel to nadir <30sec. Decrease in FHR is >15bpm, lasts 15sec-2min. When a/w contractions, onset, depth, duration vary with success uterine contractions.
7)   Prolonged Decel: Decel that is >15bpm, lasts 2min-10min.
8)   Sinusoidal Pattern: Smooth, sine wave-like undulating pattern. Cycle frequency of 3-5/min, persists >20min

FHR Categorization:
1)   Category 1: Normal good and happy. Normal.
a.     Baseline rate wnl, moderate variability
b.     No variable or late decels
c.      +/-Early decels
d.     +/-Accels
2)   Category 3: Abnormal bad and unhappy. A/w fetal acidemia. Shown to have érisk for neonatal encephalopathy, CP, neonatal acidosis. However, predictive value is poor.
a.     Absent baseline variability w/
                                               i.     Recurrent late or variable decels
                                              ii.     Bradycardia
b.     Sinusoidal pattern
3)   Category 2: Anything not category 1 or 3
a.     Baseline rate
                                               i.     Tachycardia
                                              ii.     Bradycardia w/out absent variability
b.     Variability
                                               i.     Minimal or marked variability
                                              ii.     Absent baseline variability w/out recurrent decels
c.      Accelerations
                                               i.     Absence after fetal stimulation (scalp stim or echo)
d.     Decelerations
                                               i.     Prolonged (2-10min)
                                              ii.     Recurrent variable or late decels w/ mod variability
                                            iii.     Variable decels w/ slow return to baseline

Management

1)   Category 1: Continue monitoring; should review every 30 minutes in latent labor and every 15 minutes in second stage of labor.
2)   Category 2: Intrauterine resuscitation measures
a.     Intrauterine resuscitation measures: goal is to increase O2 to fetus
                                               i.     Maternal repositioning
                                              ii.     IVF
                                            iii.     Reduction in Pitocin/Tocolytic
                                            iv.     Oxygen
                                              v.     Amnioinfusion (limited evidence for improving outcomes)
                                            vi.     Can be 2/2 maternal hypotension (ie s/p epidural)
b.     Management depends on specific tracing
                                               i.     Moderate variability and accels are highly predictive of normal fetus acid-base status (Category 2 but reassuring)
                                              ii.     Intermittent variable decels do not require any treatment (Category 2 but reassuring)
                                            iii.     Recurrent variable decels – intrauterine resuscitation
                                            iv.     Fetal tachycardia – evaluate
1.     infection (chorio, pyelo)
2.     meds (terb, cocaine, stimulants)
3.     medical conditions (hyperthyroidism)
4.     obstetrical conditions (abruption, fetal bleed, cord prolapse/occlusion, uterine rupture)
5.     fetal abnormality (fetal tachyarrhythmia)
                                              v.     Fetal bradycardia and prolonged decel - evaluate
1.     Don’t wait around to differentiate the two
2.     Many of same causes of fetal tachycardia
                                            vi.     Minimal FHR variability
1.     Fetal sleep cycle (20-60min): stimulate fetus
2.     Maternal meds (opioids [1-2hrs], mag)
3.     Fetal acidemia – if min variability cannot be explained/resolved should be managed as such
3)   Category 3: Prompt delivery if intrauterine resuscitation measures do not resolve tracing.
a.     30-min rule from decision to incision.
                                               i.     Studies don’t show an increase in consequences for delay
                                              ii.     May not improve outcome if fetus already suffered injury
b.     Valid factors may delay surgery
                                               i.     Stabilization of mom: cardiopulm compromise, hemorrhage, eclampsia
                                              ii.     Preparation of OR
                                            iii.     Notification of NICU/Peds


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