Question

While monitoring the (fhr) of a client in labor, the nurse identifies an increase of 15 beats more than the baseline rate of 135 beats per minute that lasts 15 seconds. how should the nurse document this event?

Answer 1

The nurse must document this occurrence by acceleration is a sudden advancement beyond the starting point of 15 beats per minute for 15 seconds and if the acceleration continues for more than 10 minutes it is considered a change in starting point rate. A tachycardic fetal heart rate is beyond 160 beats per minute. A normal fetal heart rate or as called as FHR usually ranges from 120 to 160 beats per minute in the in utero period. It is measurable sonographically from around 6 weeks and the normal range differs throughout development in which increasing to about 170 beats per minute at 10 weeks and decreasing from then to around 130 beats per minute at term.