title: A comparative study of the fetal electrocardiogram recorded by the STAN an Nottingham systems.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the T:QRS ratio recorded by the STAN and Nottingham fetal electrocardiogram (FECG) monitors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  London teaching hospital delivery suite and research unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  The T:QRS ratios generated by the STAN and Nottingham FECG monitors were simultaneously recorded and compared using signals generated from a computer-produced ECG signal and signals from 11 term fetuses recorded during labour.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was an acceptable level of agreement between the two systems with the computer-generated signals, but it was not clinically acceptable with the signals from the fetuses recorded during labour. Disagreements in the T:QRS values were probably due to differences in the reference points for the measurement of the S-T segment and T-wave height.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The different points of reference for measurement of S-T segment and T-wave height can explain poor agreement between the two methods of FECG waveform analysis. The suggested adopted points of reference are those corresponding to adult electrocardiographic methodology.
authors.affiliation: St. George's Hospital, London.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Skillern
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cockburn
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benjamin
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pearce
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sahota
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohajer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Symonds
mesh_terms: D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000502:physiology; D005323:Fetal Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D006340:Heart Rate, Fetal; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity