Obstetric Nurse Intrapartum Fetal Monitoring Questions and Answers

Question 1

A laboring patient's electronic fetal monitor (EFM) strip shows a baseline fetal heart rate of 170 bpm for the last 15 minutes, moderate variability, and no decelerations.
Which of the following is a likely cause for this finding?

Accepted Answer

Maternal fever

Answer

Fetal sleep cycle

Answer

Umbilical cord compression

Answer

Maternal hypotension

Question 2

An obstetric nurse is analyzing a fetal heart rate tracing and observes a gradual decrease in the FHR that begins after the peak of a contraction and returns to baseline after the contraction has ended. This pattern is identified as:

Accepted Answer

Late deceleration

Answer

Early deceleration

Answer

Variable deceleration

Answer

Prolonged deceleration

Question 3

A nurse is caring for a patient whose EFM strip displays recurrent late decelerations with minimal variability. According to the NICHD Three-Tier Fetal Heart Rate Interpretation System, this tracing would be classified as which category?

Accepted Answer

Category III

Answer

Category I

Answer

Category II

Answer

Indeterminate

Question 4

Upon reviewing a fetal monitor strip, the nurse notes several abrupt, V-shaped decelerations that are not consistently related to the timing of contractions. The most appropriate initial nursing intervention is to:

Accepted Answer

Reposition the mother.

Answer

Administer a tocolytic medication.

Answer

Prepare for an amnioinfusion.

Answer

Discontinue oxytocin if it is infusing.

Question 5

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of a Category I fetal heart rate tracing?

Accepted Answer

Moderate baseline variability

Answer

Baseline rate of 100 bpm

Answer

Presence of recurrent late decelerations

Answer

Minimal or absent variability

Question 6

A patient in the second stage of labor has a fetal heart rate tracing that shows a baseline of 130 bpm, moderate variability, and accelerations with fetal movement. During pushing, the nurse observes gradual, symmetrical decelerations that mirror the contractions, with the FHR returning to baseline as each contraction ends. What is the nurse's best interpretation of this finding?

Accepted Answer

Benign head compression from fetal descent.

Answer

Uteroplacental insufficiency requiring intervention.

Answer

Umbilical cord prolapse requiring immediate action.

Answer

Fetal metabolic acidosis.

A laboring patient's electronic fetal monitor (EFM) strip shows a baseline fetal heart rate of 170 bpm for the last 15 minutes, moderate variability, and no decelerations.Which of the following is a likely cause for this finding?

A laboring patient's electronic fetal monitor (EFM) strip shows a baseline fetal heart rate of 170 bpm for the last 15 minutes, moderate variability, and no decelerations.
Which of the following is a likely cause for this finding?