A nurse midwife suspects that a client at 39 weeks' gestation has hypertonic uterine activity. The client is in the early stages of labor. Which of the following findings support the diagnosis?
I.Uterine intensity is about 120 mm Hg.
II.Uterus relaxes between contractions for 90 seconds.
III.Uterine resting tone is 3 mm Hg.
IV.Uterine resting tone is 20 mm Hg.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A uterine intensity of 120 mm Hg and a uterine resting tone of 20 mm Hg both support the diagnosis of hypertonic uterine activity. The uterus usually relaxes between contractions for 60 seconds or longer. The normal uterine contraction intensity is between 50 and 75 mm Hg during labor, and it may increase to 110 mm Hg during pushing in the second stage of labor. The average resting tone is between 5 and 15 mm Hg.

A Nurse Midwife Suspects That a Client at 39 Weeks