Review
English
Mustafa Gawass, Najwa Eljabu
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Fateh University Tripoli, Libya
JMJ 2009,Vol.9, No.3: 171-176
Abstract
The task of obstetric care is safe delivery for the mother and child. When the CTG (cardiotocogram) was introduced 30 years ago, it was assumed that electronic foetal monitoring would identify foetuses affected by intrapartum asphyxia, resulting in early intervention and a reduction in cerebral palsy. Unfortunately, this was not the case, as a large number of foetuses show changes in the foetal heart rate without being asphyxiated. It is clear, however, that the CTG is very good at identifying the normal healthy foetus but is unable to provide diagnostic information on the degree of hypoxia. The STAN concept is based on the unique ability of the ST interval to reflect the function of the foetal heart muscle (myocardium) during stress tests. The ST interval of the foetal ECG shows how the foetus is coping with the stress of labour and helps clinicians detect signs of hypoxia. All studies performed on ST wave form analysis confirm its diagnostic value. Combined ST analysis and the standard EFM (electronic foetal monitoring) parameters provide more accurate information about the foetus during delivery than EFM alone. The method is continuous and has been proven to be effective in large randomized control trials (Cochrane review: foetal electrocardiogram ECG for foetal monitoring during labour. Neilson JP. The Cochrane library 2006:3). It helps identify foetuses at risk and prevents unnecessary intervention by providing clinicians with more precise information about the foetal state during labour. This combination makes STAN the ultimate solution for foetal surveillance.
Keywords: STAN, foetal ECG, Electronic foetal monitoring, foetal surveillance.
Link/DOI: http://www.jmj.org.ly/PDF/autumn2009/171.pdf