Does ST-Segment Analysis Improve the Sensitivity of Fetal Monitoring?

The use of ST-segment analysis in women with low-risk pregnancies did not lead to better outcomes for the mother or baby.

The prevention of acidosis and brain injury remains an important but elusive goal of labor management. Fetal electrocardiographic ST-segment analysis has been proposed as a more sensitive detector of fetal acidosis during electronic fetal monitoring. This technology was approved by the FDA in 2005, mostly based on clinical results from European studies.

To determine whether ST-segment analysis improves the sensitivity of electronic fetal monitoring in the U.S., 11,108 women identified from the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network were randomized to undergo electronic fetal monitoring with open availability of ST-segment analysis or conventional monitoring in a manufacturer-funded study. The primary outcome — a composite of perinatal death, …

Reviewing Author

Robin Steinhorn, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardActelion Pharmaceuticals

Editorial BoardsJournal of Pediatrics

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Pediatric Society (President); American Board of Pediatrics (Board of Directors)

Robin Steinhorn, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardActelion Pharmaceuticals

Editorial BoardsJournal of Pediatrics

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Pediatric Society (President); American Board of Pediatrics (Board of Directors)

Does ST-Segment Analysis Improve the Sensitivity of Fetal Monitoring?

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Reviewing Author