In the placental abruption scenario, which fetal heart tracing pattern is described?

In the placental abruption scenario, which fetal heart tracing pattern is described?

• A. Baseline 150/min with accelerations
• B. Baseline 140/min with moderate variability
• C. Baseline 80/min with absent variability
• D. Tachycardia

Answer: (C)

In placental abruption, the sudden separation disrupts oxygen delivery to the fetus, leading to fetal hypoxia. When the fetus becomes hypoxic, the heart rate often drops and variability disappears because the autonomic nervous system can no longer regulate the beat-to-beat changes effectively. A fetal tracing with a very low baseline around 80 beats per minute and absent variability is a classic sign of significant fetal distress from placental insufficiency. The other patterns reflect better oxygenation or less severe distress: a normal baseline with accelerations indicates a healthy fetus; a normal-to-low baseline with moderate variability suggests manageable oxygenation; tachycardia alone is not as specific for severe hypoxia. Therefore, the pattern of baseline 80 with absent variability best fits placental abruption.

In placental abruption, the sudden separation disrupts oxygen delivery to the fetus, leading to fetal hypoxia. When the fetus becomes hypoxic, the heart rate often drops and variability disappears because the autonomic nervous system can no longer regulate the beat-to-beat changes effectively. A fetal tracing with a very low baseline around 80 beats per minute and absent variability is a classic sign of significant fetal distress from placental insufficiency. The other patterns reflect better oxygenation or less severe distress: a normal baseline with accelerations indicates a healthy fetus; a normal-to-low baseline with moderate variability suggests manageable oxygenation; tachycardia alone is not as specific for severe hypoxia. Therefore, the pattern of baseline 80 with absent variability best fits placental abruption.