INTEGRATED INTERPRETATION OF FETAL HEART-RATE, INTRAUTERINE PRESSURE AND FETAL TRANS-CUTANEOUS PO2

By a study of the patterns of changes and the temporal relationship in fetal heart rate, intrauterine pressure, fetal tcPO2, and ‘flow’, a series of ten typical examples of combined patterns are described. Fetal tcPO2 is affected by the level of the fetal oxygenation and by the blood flow beneath the electrode. Should the latter be below a certain critical level fetal tcPO2 will be lower than fetal scalp blood PO2. By the integrated analysis of the four simultaneously recorded variables the different factors dominating fetal tcPO2 may be identified. © 1979 S. Karger AG, Basel.