Okay, I work in a NICU and we will monitor the fetal strips of the women up in L/D to get an idea of what we might get, what's going on, etc. Well, our Advanced Practice RN was closely watching a strip which had what she called a sinusoidal rhythm (sp?). She tried to explain what it was, but couldn't really tell me the phsyiology behind it, just that it was bad. She knew, she was just too distracted watching this strip to give a long involved description. It looked very strange to me, just a regular, wavy line with occasional DEEP late decels.
She was very on edge, even got prepped for an emergent UV insertion and parked the code cart outside the pt's room because she was expecting to have to code the baby. The baby had had that rhythm for over an hour and the OB wanted to deliver lady partsl and so they just kept increasing the pit! And did I mention it was a 33 weeker?
So, my question: what's the physiology behind a sinusoidal rhythm?
psuedosinusoidal rhythm is usually from narcotics and is short term.....true sinusoidal rhythm is ominous and related to severe fetal anoxia, anemia (due to psbl abruption) and some genetic problems. Yeah, I wouldv'e been pushing hard for a C/S.
rnoflabor2000
111 Posts
psuedosinusoidal rhythm is usually from narcotics and is short term.....true sinusoidal rhythm is ominous and related to severe fetal anoxia, anemia (due to psbl abruption) and some genetic problems. Yeah, I wouldv'e been pushing hard for a C/S.