{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.061957868649318466, 'fraction_numerical': 0.057001239157372985, 'mean_word_length': 4.788530465949821, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
The admission cardiotocograph: a randomised controlled trial

This study aimed to compare, in a low-risk population of women in labour, the effect on neonatal outcome of an ‘admission’ cardiotocograph with intermittent auscultation of the fetal heart rate. The delivery ward of a Dublin teaching hospital was the setting for this study, which involved women at low risk of fetal distress in labour. This was a randomised controlled trial. The primary outcome was moderate–severe neonatal morbidity, or perinatal mortality in the absence of a major congenital malformation. Twenty-minute admission cardiotocograph was compared to the usual care of intermittent auscultation only, with continuous cardiotocography only if subsequently clinically indicated. A total of 8580 women were randomised and included in analysis: 4298 to receive an admission CTG and 4282 to usual care. Forty-four (1.0%) women allocated to receive an admission CTG did not have one; 15 (0.4%) allocated to usual unit care had an admission CTG. In the admission CTG group, 56 (1.3%) had moderate–severe neonatal morbidity or mortality compared to 55 (1.3%) in the usual care arm (RR=1.01, 95% CI 0.70–1.47). Other parameters of neonatal morbidity also showed no differences. Despite an increase in the use of continuous cardiotocography (RR=1.39. 95% CI 1.33–1.45) and fetal blood sampling (RR=1.30, 95% CI 1.30–1.47) with an admission CTG, there were no significant differences in the incidence of caesarean section (RR=1.13, 95% CI = 0.92–1.40), instrumental delivery (RR=1.03, 95% CI = 0.92–1.16) or episiotomy (RR=1.06, 95% CI 0.99–1.13).