A primigravida at 40 weeks of gestation is having uterine contractions every 1½ to 2 minutes and states that they are very painful.Her cervix is dilated 2 cm and has not changed in 3 hours.The woman is crying and wants an epidural.What is the likely status of this woman's labor?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The contraction pattern observed in this woman signifies hypertonic uterine activity.Typically,uterine activity in this phase occurs at 4- to 5-minute intervals lasting 30 to 45 seconds.Women who experience hypertonic uterine dysfunction,or primary dysfunctional labor,are often anxious first-time mothers who are having painful and frequent contractions that are ineffective at causing cervical dilation or effacement to progress.With hypotonic uterine dysfunction,the woman initially makes normal progress into the active stage of labor; then the contractions become weak and inefficient or stop altogether.Precipitous labor is one that lasts less than 3 hours from the onset of contractions until time of birth.

A Primigravida at 40 Weeks of Gestation Is Having Uterine