PBL 3: Birth Asphyxia Flashcards
What is CTG?
Cardiotocography
means of recording foetal heartbeat and uterine contractions during pregnancy.
During labour, the foetal heartbeat should be between ?
110-160 bpm
variability of >5bpm, usually between 10-25bpm.
What is external CTG?
One transducer on the foetal heart, and the other at the fundus
What is internal CTG?
A wire electrode attached to foetal scalp connected to the monitor
What are accelerations?
abrupt increase in the baseline heart rate >15bpm for over 15 seconds.
What in terms of accelerations are normal?
2 accelerations every 15 minutes, and they should run alongside the uterine contractions.
How can you induce accelerations?
- Gently rocking the mother’s abdomen.
- Pressing on the baby’s head through the cervix with a finger.
- Administering a short burst of sound.
What are the 4 types of decelerations?
Type 1/ Early
Type 2/ Late
Variable
Prolonged
When do type 1 decelerations begin and end
Start when uterine contractions begin and recover when they stop
What causes type 1 decelerations?
Increased intracranial pressure causing increased vagal tone
What do type 2 decelerations indicate?
Insufficient blood flow through the uterus and placentia
What does insufficient blood flow through uterus will cause?
Reduced foetal blood flow
Hypoxia
Acidosis
What can cause reduced utero-placental blood flow?
- Maternal hypotension.
- Pre-eclampsia.
- Uterine hyper stimulation.
What are variable decelerations?
- Rapid fall in baseline rate with a variable recovery phase.
- They are variable in duration and may have no relationship to uterine contractions.
When are variable decelerations seen?
patients with reduced amniotic fluid volume
What causes variable decelerations?
umbilical cord compression