OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the fetal heart rate (FHR) signal quality of non-invasive abdominal fetal electrocardiogram (fECG) in comparison to the Doppler ultrasound cardiotocogram (CTG) during the first and second stage of labour. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective observational study of non-invasive fECG using five abdominally sited electrodes against the traditional Doppler ultrasound CTG probe on 144 patients. Data were analysed for signal quality before and after outlier removal. RESULTS: Abdominal fECG signal quality was significantly better during the first stage of labour in comparison to Doppler CTG (median fECG reliability of 95.7 % vs. median 87.3 % for Doppler, p < 0.001), whereas during second stage of labour, equivalence was demonstrated (p > 0.05). For the first and second stage of labour, fECG showed 106/135 (78.5 %) and 46/98 (46.9 %) women having fetal signal loss below 20 %, respectively. Similarly, Doppler ultrasound demonstrated 104/135 (77.0 %) and 51/98 (52.0 %) women having fetal signal loss below 20 % during first and second stage of labour, respectively. CONCLUSION: The non-invasive abdominal fECG presents an improved FHR signal quality during the first stage of labour and an equivalent signal quality during the second stage.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the fetal heart rate (FHR) signal quality of non-invasive abdominal fetal electrocardiogram (fECG) in comparison to the Doppler ultrasound cardiotocogram (CTG) during the first and second stage of labour. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective observational study of non-invasive fECG using five abdominally sited electrodes against the traditional Doppler ultrasound CTG probe on 144 patients. Data were analysed for signal quality before and after outlier removal. RESULTS: Abdominal fECG signal quality was significantly better during the first stage of labour in comparison to Doppler CTG (median fECG reliability of 95.7 % vs. median 87.3 % for Doppler, p < 0.001), whereas during second stage of labour, equivalence was demonstrated (p > 0.05). For the first and second stage of labour, fECG showed 106/135 (78.5 %) and 46/98 (46.9 %) women having fetal signal loss below 20 %, respectively. Similarly, Doppler ultrasound demonstrated 104/135 (77.0 %) and 51/98 (52.0 %) women having fetal signal loss below 20 % during first and second stage of labour, respectively. CONCLUSION: The non-invasive abdominal fECG presents an improved FHR signal quality during the first stage of labour and an equivalent signal quality during the second stage.
Authors: Dirk Hoyer; Jan Żebrowski; Dirk Cysarz; Hernâni Gonçalves; Adelina Pytlik; Célia Amorim-Costa; João Bernardes; Diogo Ayres-de-Campos; Otto W Witte; Ekkehard Schleußner; Lisa Stroux; Christopher Redman; Antoniya Georgieva; Stephen Payne; Gari Clifford; Maria G Signorini; Giovanni Magenes; Fernando Andreotti; Hagen Malberg; Sebastian Zaunseder; Igor Lakhno; Uwe Schneider Journal: Physiol Meas Date: 2017-02-10 Impact factor: 2.833
Authors: Betul Yilmaz; Hari K Narayan; Abigail Wilpers; Christina Wiess; William P Fifer; Ismée A Williams Journal: Cardiol Young Date: 2015-01-20 Impact factor: 1.093
Authors: Janusz Jezewski; Janusz Wrobel; Adam Matonia; Krzysztof Horoba; Radek Martinek; Tomasz Kupka; Michal Jezewski Journal: Front Physiol Date: 2017-05-16 Impact factor: 4.566