Chapter 15 Fetal Assessment During Labor VOCAB

Question 1

Acceleration

Answer 1

A visually apparent, abrupt increase in FHR above the baseline rate. The peak is at least 15 beats/min above the baseline and the acceleration lasts 15 seconds or more.

Question 2

Amnioinfusion

Answer 2

Infusion of room-temperature normal saline or lactated Ringer’s solution through an intrauterine pressure catheter into the uterine cavity in an attempt to increase the fluid around the umbilical cord and prevent compression during uterine contractions.

Question 3

Asphyxia

Answer 3

Fetal hypoxia that results in metabolic acidosis.

Question 4

Baseline FHR

Answer 4

Average FHR during a 10-minute period that excludes periodic and episodic changes, periods of marked variability, and segments of the baseline that differ by more than 25 beats per minute; normal FHR baseline is 110 to 160 beats per minute.

Question 5

Bradycardia

Answer 5

A baseline FHR less than 110 beats/min for 10 minutes or longer.

Question 6

Duration

Answer 6

Time from the beginning of a contraction to the end of the same contraction, measured in seconds.
Early deceleration a visually apparent, gradual decrease in and return to baseline fetal heart rate Associated with contractions; caused by fetal head compression. Generally the onset, nadir, and recovery of the deceleration correspond to the beginning, peak, and end of the contraction.

Question 7

Frequency

Answer 7

Time from the beginning of one contraction to the beginning of the next, measured in minutes.

Question 8

Hypoxemia

Answer 8

A deficiency of oxygen in the arterial blood.

Question 9

Hypoxia

Answer 9

An inadequate supply of oxygen at the cellular level that can cause metabolic acidosis.

Question 10

Intensity

Answer 10

Strength of a contraction at its peak.

Question 11

Intermittent auscultation

Answer 11

Listening to fetal heart sounds at periodic intervals to assess the FHR.

Question 12

Late deceleration

Answer 12

A visually apparent, gradual decrease in and return to baseline fetal heart rate associated with contractions; caused by disruption of oxygen transfer. The deceleration begins after the contraction has started and the nadir of the deceleration occurs after the peak of the contraction. The deceleration usually does not return to baseline until after the contraction ends.

Question 13

Montevideo units (MVUs)

Answer 13

A method to quantify intensity of labor contractions with internal uterine activity monitoring. The baseline intrauterine pressure for each contraction in a 9-minute period is subtracted from the peak pressure. The resulting net pressures (peak minus baseline) are added to calculate Montevideo units, or MVUs.

Question 14

Nadir

Answer 14

The lowest point, such as the lowest pulse rate in a series.

Question 15

Prolonged deceleration

Answer 15

A visually apparent decrease (may be either gradual or abrupt) in fetal heart rate of at least 15 beats/min below the baseline and lasting more than 2 minutes but less than 10 minutes.

Question 16

Tachycardia

Answer 16

A baseline FHR greater than 160 beats/min for 10 minutes or longer.

Question 17

Telemetry

Answer 17

Wireless transmission of electronic fetal monitoring data to a bedside or central monitor unit.

Question 18

Uterine resting tone

Answer 18

Degree of uterine muscle tension when the woman is not in labor or during the interval between labor contractions.

Question 19

Variability

Answer 19

Irregular waves or fluctuations in the baseline FHR of two cycles per minute or greater. There are four possible categories of variability: absent, minimal, moderate, and marked.

Question 20

Variable deceleration

Answer 20

A visually apparent abrupt decrease in fetal heart rate below the baseline; caused by compression of the umbilical cord. The decrease is at least 15 beats/ min or more below the baseline, lasts at least 15 seconds, and returns to baseline in less than 2 minutes from the time of onset.