Discuss the indications for each type of monitoring device
Fetal Monitor
The heart rhythm and heart rate are main indicators for the fetal monitor. The indicators help in understanding the fetal condition, which is a necessary factor to consider during labor and the delivery of a child. During the process of labor and delivery, the health care personnel is required to monitor the heart rate and rhythm of the fetus (Shore, Benson-Karhi, Malamud, & Bashiri, 2014). Monitoring of heart rate and rhythm helps in identifying any form of distress within the fetus that may have occurred during the labor and delivery process.
Internal Fetal Scalp Electrode
The Fetal scalp electrode is an internal device used by the health care practitioners to monitor and understand the heart pattern of the fetus. The healthcare providers administer the use of the internal fetal scalp electrode in cases where by there are difficulties in monitoring the heart pattern of the fetus using the external monitors.
External Fetal Monitor
The external fetal monitor is a monitoring device that is used to feel the fetal heart rate through the abdomen of the mother. The healthcare providers use the device to monitor the fetal movement and heart rate during pregnancy in order to determine a situation whereby the fetus experiences distress.
External Uterine Monitor
The external uterine monitor is a device used to establish the presence of any contractions that may occur within the uterus. The device helps the health care providers to determine whether the contractions within the uterus may result in fetal discomfort and in return cause distress to the fetus during labor and delivery process.
Intrauterine Pressure Catheter (IUPC)
The IUPC is a measuring device that helps in determining the exact contraction force within the uterus experienced during labor and delivery process. The device focuses on factors such as frequency of the contractions, time taken between contractions and the strength of individual contractions. The mentioned factors help the health care providers to have a clear estimation of the time for the delivery process.
Discuss how these items differ and the risk/benefits for each type of device
Fetal Monitor
The fetal monitor has a unique feature that helps in creating a fetal heart rhythm. The feature helps the health care practitioners to detect any change in the fetal heart rate and rhythm that may be associated with the onset of the labor process. The significance of the device is that it allows fetal monitoring during the labor and delivery processes in order to ensure that the fetus does not face distress that may result in death in extreme cases.
Internal Fetal Scalp Electrode
The main difference noted in this device comparing to other devices is the ability to get in direct contact with the fetal scalp. The device establishes a direct contact that helps in a clear identification of the heart rate of the fetus. The device provides actual fetal heart rate as gets into direct contact with the fetus. However, the use of the devices faces a risk of creating bruises within the fetal scalp and passing on infections to the fetus.
External Fetal Monitor
The external fetal monitor has unique features that distinguish it from other devices used in the monitoring process of the fetus. The device provides an overview of the fetal heart rate and the movement of the fetus. Additionally, the device has the ability to create fetal ultrasonic images that help in understanding the physical notable characteristics of the fetus (Shore, Benson-Karhi, Malamud, & Bashiri, 2014). The device is important as it allows the health care providers to monitor the fetal heart rate and physical growth of the fetus and identify any abnormalities that may be physically present. However, the device poses a risk of exposing the fetus to various radiations during the process of undertaking the ultrasonic images. Exposure to the radiations may affect the brain development of the fetus leading to major impairments within the fetus.
External Uterine Monitor
The external uterine monitor is different from other devices used to monitor the fetus as it provides an outlook of the contractions within the uterus. The device has the ability to determine changes of the contractions during the labor process. The health care practitioners use the device to determine the readiness of delivery based on the contractions, which is important in preventing the fetus from getting distressed.
IUPC
The IUPC is a unique that measures the actual strength of the contractions and time taken between the contractions. The measurements taken by the device are important elements that help the health care practitioners to identify the mode of delivery and the time of delivery. The device allows the healthcare providers to keep track of any changes in strength and frequency of the contraction thereby providing an avenue to establish an appropriate action regarding the delivery process. The device does not pose any risk to the mother and the fetus, as it is safe and is only involved in measuring factors associated with contractions.
Describe the correct placement of the external monitors on a patient
The administration of the external monitors on patients requires qualified and skilled health practitioners in order to ensure the safety of the patients. The main factor to consider during the placement of the external monitors is the comfort of the patient. The device should be placed in a position that does not create discomfort to the patient in order to provide accurate results. The health care providers are mandated to ensure correct positioning of the devices in specific areas such as the abdomen to increase the chance of obtaining better results based on the position of the fetus. The health care providers should ensure monitoring of different positions within the abdomen of the patient, as this would help in monitoring the patient’s vitals including heart rate and rhythm. Lastly, the health provider ought to ensure that he or she develops a steady reading that would be of value that would help in monitoring of any changes in vitals.
References
Shore, H., Benson-Karhi, D., Malamud, M., & Bashiri, A. (2014). Customized fetal growth modeling and monitoring—a statistical process control approach. Quality Engineering, 26(3), 290-310.
