Electrohysterography compared to external tocodynamometer and intra-uterine pressure catheter for uterine contraction monitoring during term labor.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Completed

Sex: Not specified

Target Recruitment: 131

Inclusion Criteria

In order to be eligible to participate in this study, a subject must meet all of the following criteria: women with a singleton pregnancy and gestational age between 37 and 42 weeks, in active labor with a fetus in cephalic presentation, ruptured membranes and fetal scalp electrode. We will apply strict criteria regarding diagnosis of labor: a pregnant woman needs to have regular painful contractions at least three each ten minutes, and a fully effaced cervix with minimum 3 centimeters of dilation.

Exclusion Criteria

A potential subject who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study: women under the age of 18 years old, women with a multiple pregnancy, women with signs of fetal distress (abnormal CTG requiring immediate intervention), women with a positive Group B streptococcus status in urine or vagina, and women with a positive hepatitis B/C or HIV serology. Contraindications to IUPC placement are uterine bleeding of undetermined origin, a suspected placenta praevia, vasa praevia, and signs of intrauterine infection (maternal fever >38C with fetal tachycardia >160 beats per minute). Contraindications to EHG placement are dermatologic diseases of the abdomen precluding preparation of the abdomen with abrasive paper, women in labor taking a shower or bath and women connected to external or implanted electrical stimulators.

Study & Design

Study Type: Observational non invasive

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
The primary outcome measure is the sensitivity of electrohysterography to monitor contractions in pregnant women during term labor. Sensitivity is defined as the percentage of correctly identified contractions that were simultaneously detected by an intrauterine pressure catheter. Sensitivity of electrohysterography will also be compared with sensitivity of external tocodynamometry.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Both primary study parameters will be evaluated in a sub group of morbidly obese women. And sub analysis will also be performed to compare non-obese and obese, and to compare pregnant women with or without analgesia. Other performance characteristics are: positive predictive value, correlation and contractions consistency index. A Bland-Altman analysis with scatterplot will be carried out to determine the agreement between electrohysterography or external tocodynamometry with intrauterine pressure measurements. Finally, patient preference will be evaluated.