title: A comparison between fibreoptic and catheter-tip bridge strain gauge transducers for measurement of intrauterine pressure in labour.
abstract: A new fibreoptic pressure transducer was used to measure uterine activity in labour, and the results were compared with those obtained with the catheter-tip bridge strain gauge transducer. Readings were obtained from 8 patients in spontaneous labour, and a total of 565 contractions were analysed. When all contractions were analysed the coefficient of variation ranged from 11.24 to 42.74. In 2 patients with vast difference in pressure readings one of the catheters had slipped into the lower uterine segment, when these 2 cases were not considered the coefficient of variation ranged from 11.24 to 21.18. Even in the others there were transient periods lasting 5 to 15 minutes when the pressure difference was greater than 10 mmHg between the 2 catheters. When they were excluded from analysis, along with the 2 cases where one of the catheters was displaced, the coefficient of variation ranged from 9.30 to 16.05. The fibreoptic pressure transducer appears to be a safe, convenient and fairly accurate means of assessing uterine activity. But one must be aware that a catheter giving low readings compared with the initial period soon after insertion may be due to displacement of the transducer tip to the uterine lower segment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Tham
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arulkumaran
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Anandakumar
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ratnam
mesh_terms: D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011312:Pressure; D014160:Transducers, Pressure; D014590:Uterine Contraction; D014599:Uterus / Q000502:physiology*