Uterine activity monitoring during labour--a multi-centre, blinded two-way trial of external tocodynamometry against electrohysterography.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the quality of intrapartum uterine activity (UA) monitoring in daily practice during the first and second stages of labour. The total duration of inadequate UA monitoring is quantified in relation to the technique applied, namely, external tocodynamometry (TOCO) or electrohysterography (EHG).


METHODS
144 UA recordings, collected from 1st September 2008 until 15th October 2009 from deliveries at the Marien-Hospital Witten, Germany, were analysed by obstetricians based at different centres. The included recordings were from singleton and simultaneously with external TOCO and EHG monitored pregnancies. External TOCO and EHG UA recordings were blinded.


RESULTS
The percentages of "adequate" UA recordings in the first and second stages of labour were much higher for the external EHG than the external TOCO mode (p<0.001). All doctors evaluated the UA assessment as "easier" (p <0.001) using the EHG compared with TOCO.


CONCLUSIONS
Intrapartum UA monitoring in -daily practice via the EHG mode provides a more recognisable UA trace than the TOCO.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Joscha.Reinhard@kgu.de
J
J
Reinhard
B R
BR
Hayes-Gill
S
S
Schiermeier
H
H
Löser
L M
LM
Niedballa
E
E
Haarmann
A
A
Sonnwald
W
W
Hatzmann
T M
TM
Heinrich
F
F
Louwen
D000465:Algorithms; D015148:Cardiotocography / Q000295:instrumentation; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007747:Labor Stage, First; D007748:Labor Stage, Second; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012984:Software; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D018590:Uterine Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation*