Τόμος 32 (2018) – Τεύχος 2 –Άρθρο 4 – Review of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics – Διεθνής Έκδοση – Volume 32 (2018) – Issue 2 – Article 4 – Review of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics – International Edition

Kleanthi Gourounti^1,2, Aikaterini – Zoi Michailidi³, Aggeliki Lionaki⁴

Continuous cardiotocography as a form of electronic fetal monitoring during delivery, in cases it is essential, can improve perinatal outcome by demon- strating the need of direct intervention or labour induc- tion. Both well-educated health-care providers and special tools for fetal acidbase balance evaluation are prerequisite for achieving the most desirable outcome (1).

The coordinated uterine contractions and the birth process are the results of complicated procedures which happen during pregnancy. The effective contrac- tions aid the cervical dilation and the cathode of the fetus. The technology who turns myometric activity into waveform for the assessment of the contractions, is called tocography and has both advantages and limita- tions. Characteristics of contractions are frequency, duration, resting tone and strength (2).

Cardiotocography includes continuous electronical fetal heart rate monitoring and interrupted hearing of fetal heart rate (3). The kind of cardiotocography which is chosen each time depends on the woman in labour and whether she has had a high risk pregnancy or significant complications during delivery (4). Cardioto- cograph traces must be estimated in company with other elements like the delivery process, the shade of amniotic fluid and the possibly use of pitocin. Many researchers support that cardiotocography should not be used unless there is an evaluation of fetal blood acidbase balance (5-6). The main factors of cardioto- cograph interpretation are baseline rate, baseline vari- ability, accelerations and decelerations (2).