Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology (CEOG) is published by IMR Press from Volume 47 Issue 1 (2020). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with S.O.G.
Non-stress test: a fifteen-year clinical appraisal
During a 15-year period (Jan. 1981 to Dec. 1995) a total of 14,950 patients were delivered in our hospital. Throughout this period fetal heart rate monitoring during labor was increased from 10% up to 85%. The overall antepartum testing was also increased from 8 to 15%. In patients with significant complications in pregnancy the mean number of non-stress tests (NST's) per patient was 1.8 tests in 1981 to 4.8 tests in 1995. The average perinatal mortality was 15.2‰, with a gradual decline. In patients who were subjected to antepartum testing the previous rate was only 3.7‰. Our conclusion is that the use of antepartum and intrapartum cardiotocography has increased during the last 15 years in our clinic As a consequence a considerable decrease was noted in the overall perinatal mortality. The nonstress test is still today the first line of antepartum fetal assessment.