Revision D 170 Series Monitor 5-13
2003023-001
Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring: Fetal Heart Rate Alarms
Intermittent Signal Loss
In the clinical environment, a partial loss of signal is seen more frequently than a
complete loss of signal. The time-to-alarm will vary related to the percentage of
signal loss.
Figure 5-9 shows an example where there is 70% signal loss resulting in
a signal quality alarm after 5 minutes.
Figure 5-9. 70% Signal Loss Example
Silencing an Audio Alarm
Press the Alarm Silence button to cancel the audio component of an alarm; the
visual indications remain until the alarm condition is resolved.
The silence function works on an alarm-by-alarm basis. An audio alarm will sound
if a new alarm condition occurs after the previous condition has been resolved.
Summary
The alarm algorithms are intended to assist the perinatal staff in assessing the status
of a patient at bedside by recognizing vital signs data that falls outside the user-
defined normal range. The monitor does not replace observation and evaluation of
the mother and fetus at regular intervals, by a qualified care provider, who will make
diagnoses and decide on treatments or interventions. A provider should determine
the status of the patient by visual assessment of the fetal monitor tracing at the
bedside and evaluation of fetal and maternal vital signs and progress in labor. The
absence of an alarm does not indicate fetal or maternal well-being.
Frequent assessment of the fetal monitor tracing is necessary to ensure recognition
of unusual, undefined, or suspicious patterns that may or may not generate a
threshold alarm.
12
3
4
5
Time (minutes)
FHR (BPM)
alarm activates
70% signal loss
67
end of good
quality signal
5 min
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