Graham Field GRAFCO 14423-8 - Manual (Page 22)

14423-INS-LAB-RevD11 22
FETAL HEART (FH) MONITORING
FH Monitoring with 2.0 MHz Water-Resistant Probe
Refer to picture at right. The au-
dio fetal heart beat is sent out via
the built-in speaker or attached
earphone.
1. Palpate for the fetus position
to find the best location to
place the probe and hear the
fetal heart rate.
2. Apply a liberal amount of gel to the probe head.
3. Place the probe head on the desired location. Assure
that good coupling of the gel to the skin is achieved; the
Fetal Heart rate will not be heard if adequate gel is not
used and air is between the probe head and skin.
4. Slowly move the probe until a clear heart rate is heard.
5. Adjust the volume to the desired level.
WARNING: It is not possible to monitor FHR unless
an audible fetal heart signal is present. The fetal
pulse can be distinguished from the maternal pulse
by feeling the mother’s pulse during the examination.
WARNING: For best quality audio, place the probe in
the optimum position.
WARNING: For best quality audio, avoid positions
with strong placental sounds (swishing) or fetal cord
pulse (indistinct pulse at fetal rate).
WARNING: If the fetus is in the cephalic position and
the mother is supine, the clearest heart sound will
normally be found on the midline below the umbili-
cus. During monitoring, prolonged lying in the supine
position should be avoided. Sitting up or lateral posi-
tions are preferable and may be more comfortable for
the mother.