FHM Vignette #15: 31 Weeks Pre-Term Labor/Magnesium Sulfate for Neuroprotection

Course overview

Training on reading FHR monitor strips is often not applied to specific clinical situations or to an understanding of why the FHR patterns look as they do in those situations. This activity reviews FHR patterns and highlights useful information for practitioners who interpret fetal tracings. The basic steps in FHR monitor strip interpretation include: 1) accurate assessment of the FHR pattern using the standardized NICHD terminology; 2) accurate assessment of maternal uterine activity; 3) consideration of maternal/fetal physiology as it relates to the current clinical situation; 4) determination of the appropriate FHR category; and 5) intervention and management appropriate to tracing interpretation. After completing this activity, practitioners should be able to: identify patient safety issues associated with magnesium sulfate administration given for preterm infant neuroprotection; recognize the implications of how gestational age can impact the FHR tracing; and list FHR changes associated with magnesium sulfate administration.