Are you a nursing student preparing for NCLEX exam or a seasoned nurse brushing up your skills and you are feeling overwhelmed about the fetal monitoring charts? Well worry no more as there is an easy way to remember fetal heart rate patterns. VEAL CHOP nursing mnemonic is a simple way to remember those heart rate patterns! VEAL CHOP is widely used in obstetrics (OB/GYN) settings to help in decision making. Let’s break it down and learn how to interpret these important signals from the baby to keep you on top of fetal monitoring game.
What is fetal heart rate monitoring?
Fetal heart rate monitoring measures the heart rate and rhythm of the fetus. The heart rate of the fetus might change according to the conditions in the uterus. Fetal heart rate monitoring is very important as it indicates the wellbeing of the baby. By monitoring the FHR patterns, the nurses and doctors can make timely decisions to protect both the baby and the mother. VEAL CHOP (OBGYN) mnemonics help the healthcare providers to make important decisions about the labor and delivery.
The average heart rate of the fetus per minute is 110 to 160 beats but can vary 5 to 25 beats per minute.
What is VEAL CHOP nursing Mnemonic?
The VEAL CHOP nursing mnemonic is a tool that helps the nurses to interpret the fetal heart rate of the fetus. By understanding the VEAL CHOP (OBGYN) nursing mnemonic nurses can easily identify the potential issues and can make timely decisions to ensure the safety of both baby and the mother. FHR ( Fetal Heart Rate) monitoring help the healthcare providers to detect any abnormalities or factors effecting the babies heart, this can be insufficient oxygen, fetal distress etc. By detecting these signs early, they can help the providers to intervene accordingly and sometimes go for emergency C section to save the life of both baby and the mother.
VEAL CHOP nursing Mnemonic
The VEAL CHOP Nursing Mnemonic can be broken down into two parts:
VEAL: This refers to the FHR (Fetal Heart Rate) patterns.
CHOP: This refers to the causes associated with the patterns.
Variable decelerations → Cord compression
Early deceleration → Head compression
Accelerations → OK
Late decelerations → Placental insufficiency
Variable decelerations → Cord compression
Variable declaration is a sudden drop rate in fetal heart rate that can be caused by the umbilical cord being compressed. When the umbilical cord is compressed, this can result in the reduced amount of oxygen and nutrients reaching the baby. Severe variable declarations in early labor can result in C section to save the life of the baby and mother.
Cause:
- Nuchal cord (umbilical cord around babies’ neck.
- Compressed umbilical cord due to baby’s position.
- Cord prolapses.
- Knot in the cord.
- Maternal position.
Interventions:
- Administer oxygen.
- Reposition the mother.
- Increase IV fluids to improve blood flow and oxygenation.
- Amnioinfusion (infusing saline into uterus).
Early deceleration → Head compression
Early deceleration is a gradual decrease in fetal hear rate (FHR) corresponding with the uterine contractions which happen when the baby’s head is compressed. This is common during later stages of labor but can become an issue in preterm babies during premature labor.
Cause:
- Fetal head compression when baby descends into birth canal during contractions.
Intervention:
- No intervention is needed as it is common during labor.
- Continue monitoring the baby to make sure everything is normal and there are no other complications.
Accelerations → OK
Accelerations are gradual increase in fetal heart rate of 15 beats per minute lasting for 15 seconds or more which indicates the fetal wellbeing. It indicates that the fetus is well oxygenated, autonomic system is functioning well and there is no distress.
Intervention:
- No interventions are required because it is a positive sign that indicates that the baby is doing well.
Late decelerations → Placental insufficiency
Late deceleration means the gradual decrease in fetal heart rate (FHR) at the peak of contraction and recovers after the contraction ends.
Cause:
- Placental insufficiency means that the placentas are not providing enough oxygen to the bay. This can be cause by the following:
- Maternal hypotension or low blood pressure.
- Preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy).
- Placental abruption (premature separation of the placenta).
- Uterine hyperstimulation (overuse of medications like Pitocin).
- Chronic maternal conditions like diabetes, which affect blood flow to the placenta.
Intervention:
- Reposition the mother.
- Increase IV fluids.
- Administer oxygen.
What does VEAL CHOP stand for in OB?
VEAL CHOP (OBGYN) stands for Variable declaration, Early decelerations, Accelerations, and Late decelerations which aligns with CHOP that stands for Cord compression, Head compression, Oxygenated or OK, and Placental insufficiency.
What is DR.C BRAVADO?
It is a mnemonic for standardizing tracing interpretation and reporting tool for FHR (Fetal Heart Rate) monitoring.
Conclusion
VEAL CHOP (OB/GYN) nursing mnemonic is a tool that helps the health care providers to interpret fetal heart rate patterns and make timely decisions during labor. Understanding these fetal heart rate patterns can make it easy for healthcare providers to intervene appropriately to protect both baby and mother during labor and delivery. VEAL CHOP nursing mnemonic is a tool that stands for Variable declaration, Early decelerations, Accelerations, and Late decelerations which align with CHOP that stands for Cord compression, Head compression, Oxygenated or OK, and Placental insufficiency. Understanding VEAL CHOP helps the nurses to be confident and handle any kind of situation that may arise during labor and delivery.
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