title: Spatiotemporal electrohysterography patterns in normal and arrested labor.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the spatiotemporal patterns of uterine electrical activity in normal and arrested labors.
  
  
  METHODS
  From a database of electrohysterograms, 12 subjects who underwent cesarean delivery for active-phase arrest were each matched with 2 vaginally delivered controls. Using 30-minute segments of the electrohysterogram during the arrest, or the same dilation in controls, the center of uterine electrical activity was derived. The vertical motion of this center of uterine activity was determined for each contraction and the frequencies of movement patterns analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Predominantly upward movement of the center of uterine activity (longer and/or stronger contraction at the fundus) was more common with normal dilation (P = .003). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis gave an area under the curve of 0.91 for predicting outcome (vaginal vs cesarean delivery).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a significant correlation between upward movement of the center of uterine activity (fundal dominance) and current labor progress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Tammy Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Euliano
authors.forename: Dorothee
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marossero
authors.forename: Minh Tam
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Neil R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Euliano
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Principe
authors.forename: Rodney K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002585:Cesarean Section; D004420:Dystocia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D012372:ROC Curve; D014590:Uterine Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult