What do late decelerations indicate?
Late decelerations are one of the precarious decelerations among the three types of fetal heart rate decelerations during labor. They are caused by decreased blood flow to the placenta and can signify an impending fetal acidemia.
What causes fetal late decelerations?
Causes of “late decelerations” or the drop in heart rate with uterine contraction are known to be : uteroplacental insuffiency ( not enough oxygen to the baby), amniotic fluid infection which can occur due to excessively long labor is permitted after the water has been broken, low maternal blood pressure, complications …
What does recurrent late decelerations mean?
Late decelerations are “recurrent” when they occur with 50 percent or more of contractions. Late decelerations with minimal variability are a reliable sign of oxygen deprivation. Below is an example of a fetal heart tracing with minimal variability and recurrent late decelerations.
Why are late decelerations bad?
Repeated late decelerations are a sign of fetal distress and are caused by fetal hypoxia. The degree to which the heart rate slows is not important. The timing of the deceleration is what must be carefully observed. Late decelerations must always be taken seriously.
When late decelerations occur the nurse should?
When late decelerations occur, the nurse should: Give oxygen 8-10 L/min by facemask. The major objective of care for late decelerations is to increase maternal oxygen. +IV fluids are increased to increase placental perfusion, oxytocin drips are stopped, and then Patient is positioned to prevent supine hypotension.
How long do late decelerations last?
A late deceleration is defined as a waveform with a gradual decrease and return to baseline with time from onset of the deceleration to the lowest point of the deceleration (nadir) >30 seconds.
What does a late deceleration look like?
A late deceleration is a symmetric fall in the fetal heart rate, beginning at or after the peak of the uterine contraction and returning to baseline only after the contraction has ended (Figure 6). The descent and return are gradual and smooth.
What can I do for late decelerations during labor?
Late decelerations treatment and management
- Lie down in the left lateral, knee-chest, or right lateral position to relieve compression of the large vein (or vena cava) by your pregnant uterus.
- Your doctor might administer oxygen in response to late decelerations.
How do you treat prolonged decelerations?
Most prolonged decelerations with an identifiable reversible cause will respond to conservative measures and recover within 9 minutes and do not require immediate delivery. Acute tocolysis is a useful treatment for prolonged deceleration secondary to uterine hyperstimulation.
