title: Fetal pulse oximetry.
abstract: Fetal pulse oximetry provides a tool for the surveillance of the fetus at risk of hypoxia. The experience of 150 deliveries monitored by pulse oximetry and the analysis of data may allow preliminary recommendations for clinical use in cases of suspected fetal hypoxia based on a suspicious FHR. In most cases, saturation values above 33% suggest fetal well-being. Further fetal evaluation, for example by fetal blood samples or other means, is necessary to assess alterations of FHR pattern or decreases in saturation values. Pulse oximetry may allow a differentiation between cases that need further evaluation, such as scalp blood sampling, and those which do not. The number of repeated assessments may be reduced as long as the oxygen saturation and FHR pattern do not worsen. The effect of therapeutic measures on fetal oxygenation can be directly observed. The positive preliminary experiences with fetal pulse oximetry predominate even if high expectations of easy detection of fetal hypoxia have so far not been fulfilled.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Humboldt Universität Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Luttkus
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Dudenhausen
mesh_terms: D015982:Bias; D002138:Calibration; D005260:Female; D005311:Fetal Hypoxia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005323:Fetal Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D010092:Oximetry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity