Robert Liston, Joan Crane, Emily Hamilton, Owen Hughes, Susan Kuling, Catherine MacKinnon, Helen McNamara, Ken Milne, Bryan Richardson, Marie-Josée Trépanie
OBJECTIVE: This guideline defines the standards pertaining to the application and documentation of fetal surveillance in labour that will decrease the incidence of birth asphyxia while maintaining the lowest possible rate of obstetrical intervention. Both high- and low-risk obstetrical populations are considered. It is intended that this guideline could be used by all persons providing intrapartum care in Canada, including nurses, physicians, and midwives. OPTIONS: Consideration has been given to methods of fetal surveillance currently available in Canada, including intermittent auscultation, electronic fetal monitoring (alone and when paired with vibro-acoustic or scalp stimulation and fetal scalp blood sampling), the "admission strip," computerized heart rate analysis, fetal oxygen saturation monitoring, fetal electrocardiogram analysis, and near-infrared spectroscopy...
March 2002: Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada: JOGC