Montevideo units
Montevideo units are a method of measuring uterine performance during labor. They were created in 1949 by two physicians, Roberto Caldeyro-Barcia and Hermogenes Alvarez, from Montevideo, Uruguay.
Units are calculated by internally (not externally) measuring uterine pressure above baseline tone and multiplying by the number of contractions in a 10-minute period.[1] Uterine pressure is generally measured through an intrauterine pressure catheter.
Montevideo units can be more simply calculated by summing the individual contraction intensities in a ten-minute period, a process which should arrive at a result identical to the original method of calculation.[2]
Generally, above 200 MVUs is considered necessary for adequate labor during the active phase.
Example
If, for instance:
- uterine pressure above baseline were 50 mmHg
- during the 10 minute period of measurement 3 contractions occurred
- total Montevideo units (MVUs) would be equal to 150 MVUs (50 * 3)
- Montevideo units are calculated by subtracting the baseline uterine pressure from the peak contraction pressure for each contraction in a 10-minute window and by adding the pressures generated by each contraction.
- For example, five contractions occurred, producing pressure changes of 52, 50, 47, 44 and 49 mm Hg, respectively. The sum of these five contractions is 242 Montevideo units.
References
- ↑ "MATERNITY GUIDE - Labor & Delivery". Retrieved 2010-03-28.
- ↑ Ball, RH; Espinoza, MI; Parer, JT (1994). "Regional blood flow in asphyxiated fetuses with seizures". Am J Obstet Gynecol 170 (1): 156–261.
External links
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