Documenting contraction patterns.....

[babies_r_us, RN]

Hello,

We have been experiencing so many changes with our documentation in labor that all of us 20 year veterans feel like we no longer know what we are doing!! My question is how do you chart your contraction pattern when you have coupling or tripling of contractions?? Some chart this as one prolonged contraction that doesn't return to baseline the entire length of the couplet so the length of the contraction could be 3 minutes long.....others are charting this as 2 or 3 seperate contractions and noting that they don't relax between them??? So much information available on the new NICHD charting for FHR but not as much on documentation of contractions. Please advise and resources where you have found information. THanks so much! Sharon

[BobcatRN]

We have a biphasic or triphasic option as part of our computer charting.

[babies_r_us, RN]

When you identify these contractions as biphasic and triphasic are you including the duration of the contraction as the entire length? And then is that considered tachysystole at your institution? (any contraction lasting greater than 120 seconds is tachy at our institution) Thanks, Sharon

[BobcatRN]

I don't count it as one long contraction, but q 1 min bi/triphasic pattern contraction. I don't document anything as tachysystole unless there is absolutely no rest during a 3-4 min (or longer) contraction. Who knows if that's right or not, but that's what I do and I havent been told otherwise