FHM Vignette #05: Gestational Hypertension or Preeclampsia?

Course overview

Training on reading FHR monitor strips is often not applied to specific clinical situations and an understanding of why the FHR patterns look as they do in those situations. This short activity reviews FHR patterns and highlights useful information for nurses 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 appropriate FHR Category; and 5) intervention and management appropriate to tracing interpretation. In this activity, we review the case of a 38-year-old at 37 weeks with mild gestational hypertension. After completing this activity, practitioners should be able to: differentiate "gestational hypertension" from "preeclampsia" using 2012 ACOG definitive definitions; and list potential causes of decreased FHR variability.