More questions
More questions ( 14 Questions)
A nurse is assessing a fetal heart rate (FHR) tracing for a client who is in active labor.
The nurse notes that the baseline FHR is 150 bpm with absent variability and recurrent variable decelerations with slow return to baseline.
What category of FHR tracing does this represent?
Category I is a normal pattern that is predictive of normal fetal acid-base balance at the time of observation. A category I pattern is defined by all of the following criteria:
• Baseline rate of 110 to 160 bpm
• Moderate baseline FHR variability
• No late or variable decelerations
• Early decelerations may be present or absent
• Accelerations may be present or absent
Category II is an indeterminate pattern that is not predictive of abnormal fetal acid-base balance but requires continued surveillance and reevaluation. A category II pattern includes all FHR tracings that are not category I or III.
This category of FHR tracing represents an abnormal pattern that is predictive of fetal acidemia and requires prompt evaluation and intervention. A category III pattern is defined by any of the following criteria:
• Absent baseline FHR variability and any of the following:
➤ Recurrent late decelerations
➤ Recurrent variable decelerations
➤ Bradycardia
• Sinusoidal pattern
There is no category IV in the NICHD classification system for FHR tracings.
Category III. This category of FHR tracing represents an abnormal pattern that is predictive of fetal acidemia and requires prompt evaluation and intervention. A category III pattern is defined by any of the following criteria:
• Absent baseline FHR variability and any of the following:
➤ Recurrent late decelerations
➤ Recurrent variable decelerations
➤ Bradycardia
• Sinusoidal pattern
Choice A is wrong because category I is a normal pattern that is predictive of normal fetal acid-base balance at the time of observation. A category I pattern is defined by all of the following criteria:
• Baseline rate of 110 to 160 bpm
• Moderate baseline FHR variability
• No late or variable decelerations
• Early decelerations may be present or absent
• Accelerations may be present or absent
Choice B is wrong because category II is an indeterminate pattern that is not predictive of abnormal fetal acid-base balance but requires continued surveillance and reevaluation. A category II pattern includes all FHR tracings that are not category I or III.
Choice D is wrong because there is no category IV in the NICHD classification system for FHR tracings.
