INTRAPARTUM CARDIOTOCOGRAPHY AND CLINICAL DECISION-MAKING: CTG FINDINGS IN CESAREAN DELIVERIES FOR NON-REASSURING FETAL STATUS

Abstract

Cardiotocography (CTG) is widely used for intrapartum fetal surveillance and plays an important role in decisions regarding the timing and mode of delivery. However, the relationship between formal CTG assessment and the clinical decision to perform emergency cesarean delivery is not always straightforward. In clinical practice, suspected fetal compromise is assessed in the context of the entire intrapartum course, including changes in fetal heart rate patterns over time, uterine activity, labor progression, and other obstetric factors. Consequently, a clinical diagnosis of non-reassuring fetal status may not always correspond to the severity suggested by a single CTG score.
Retrospective evaluation of cesarean deliveries performed for non-reassuring fetal status may therefore provide useful information on the relationship between documented CTG findings, clinical decision-making, and early neonatal condition.