Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring - Unit 2 (Karen)

Question 1

On the strip, how long is it between the thick lines?

How many CM per minute?

Answer 1

One minute.

3 cm (measured) in one minute.

Question 2

Monitoring - best head through babies ____.

Answer 2

Back.

Question 3

What is “baseline” ?

Answer 3

Where the fetal heart rate stays between contractions. Expressed as 1 number ending in a 0 or a 5 (125, 130, 135, etc.)

Question 4

what is tachycardia?

Answer 4

FHR above 160 for 10 minutes or less.

Question 5

Bradycardia - below 110 for 10 minutes or less. T/F?

What should we look for?

Answer 5

True.

Maybe you’re tracing moms? If mom’s is the same as what’s on the monitor for the baby, you’ve probably got mom’s!

Question 6

What is variability?

Answer 6

“Jiggly” ness to the line.

Question 7

Variability - occurs late in pregnancy. T/F?

Answer 7

True

Question 8

Variability - what controls it?

Answer 8

ANS of fetus (sympathetic/parasympathetic)

Question 9

Variability - is it bad?

Answer 9

NOT AT ALL. We want it.

Question 10

What is absent variability?

Answer 10

varies 0-2 beats per minute.

Question 11

What is minimal variability?

Answer 11

varies 2-5 beats in one minute.

Question 12

Average/Moderate variability = what? Is it what we want?

Answer 12

5-25 bpm. IT IS WHAT WE WANT! :)

Question 13

Marked variability - what is it? What does it indicate?

Answer 13

It indicates possible CNS pathology issues. Greater than 25bpm difference

Question 14

What are periodic changes?

Answer 14

Fluctuations from the baseline.

Question 15

What are accelerations? Are they good?

Answer 15

Fluctuation above baseline of at least 15 beats for at least 15 seconds. They are good

Question 16

What are early decelerations? What do they mirror?

Answer 16

They mirror contractions - they’re vagal response for baby. Indicate labor progress - so check cervix - see if it’s time!

Question 17

What are variable decelerations? what causes them?

Answer 17

They don’t look like the others - they’re deeper, longery, worrisome.
Cord compression.
Reposition, O2, IV fluid, etc.

Question 18

10 min = bradycardia.

Answer 18

variable.

prolonged.

Question 19

What are late decelerations?

Answer 19

Uterine-placental insufficiency - aka low blood flow through placenta. They are SUBTLE. Could be caused by low BP of mom, cocaine, abruption, HTN, diabetes.

Late/post-date babies are at risk.

Question 20

Most fetal arrhythmia’s - they convert to NSR at birth. T/F?

Answer 20

True

Question 21

Tachysystole - what is it?

Answer 21

5 or more contractions in a 10 minute window. Too many contractions, baby can’t recoup!

Question 22

What is coupling?

Answer 22

Two contractions back to back - causes no variability, no accelerations, decels present, etc.

Question 23

NICHD -

Category 1 -
Category 2 -
Category 3 -

Answer 23

1 = normal (reassuring).
2 = Indeterminate
3 = Abnormal (nonreassuring)

Question 24

What’s the normal contraction pattern?

Answer 24

5 contractions or less in 10 minutes averaged over a 30 minute window