Intrapartum fetal pulse oximetry. Part I: Principles and technical issues

Fetal pulse oximetry has been advocated as a means of improving the specifi city of cardiotocography in intrapartum fetal surveillance. The objective o f this article, the first of two reviewing the current literature on fetal pulse oximetry, is to discuss the principles of this new and evolving techn ology, its development, and the Various factors that can affect its reading s during fetal monitoring. It serves as a prelude to the second article, wh ich profiles the clinical application of fetal pulse oximetry. Literature p ertaining to this topic was selected from a MEDLINE search from 1965 throug h September 1999, with additional sources obtained through cross-referencin g. Target Audience: Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Family Physicians Learning Objectives: After-completion of this article, the reader will be a ble to explain the principles of fetal pulse oximetry, and describe the fac tors that affect the calibration of fetal pulse oximeters and the factors t hat affect the fetal pulse oximeter readings.