The admission CTG: is there any evidence for still using the test?
Admission cardiotocography (CTG) was introduced as a screening test for fetal distress in labor in the late 1980s. No systematic assessments of the test were performed before it was taken into widespread use. A screening test is meant to identify individuals with an increased risk for a disease or condition before symptoms occur, to prevent and reduce morbidity or mortality. A screening test should be evaluated according to its effectiveness, prognostic values and reliability. A careful review of the research literature states that routine use of the admission CTG in low-risk women increases the incidence of minor obstetric interventions, may increase the incidence of cesarean sections, but has no impact on other important outcomes. The prognostic values are poor, and the reliability varies from good to poor. There is no evidence showing that the admission CTG is beneficial, and the test should not be offered to low-risk women.
Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital of North Norway, and Women's Health and Perinatology Research Group, Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway. Ellen.Blix@unn.no
Ellen
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Blix
D015148:Cardiotocography; D005260:Female; D005316:Fetal Distress / Q000175:diagnosis; D006326:Heart Auscultation; D006340:Heart Rate, Fetal / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D010343:Patient Admission; D011247:Pregnancy; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results