CARDIOTOCOGRAPHY INTERPRETATION IN OBSTETRIC PRACTICE: THE GAP BETWEEN ROUTINE USE AND STANDARDIZED TRAINING

Cardiotocography (CTG) is one of the most frequently used tools for 
intrapartum fetal surveillance. In daily obstetric practice, however, the value of CTG 
depends not only on whether a tracing is technically adequate, but also on how 
consistently clinicians interpret the same set of fetal heart rate features. Baseline rate, 
variability, accelerations and decelerations can usually be described separately, yet the 
transition from description to a final clinical category is less straightforward. At this stage, 
professional experience, previous training, the classification system used and the 
clinician’s usual decision-making habits may all influence the conclusion. The 
consequence is that apparently similar tracings may prompt different levels of concern and 
different clinical responses.