Product Manual

4077-INS-LAB-RevB09 27
MONITORING UTERINE ACTIVITY (CONTRACTIONS)
External monitoring of the maternal contractions is obtained through the TOCO trans-
ducer on the mother's abdominal wall.
Components required are ultrasound transducer and belt.
Preparing the Monitor
1. Turn the monitor on and verify that the normal monitoring screen appears on the
display.
2. Check the TOCO transducer to verify proper attachment to the monitor.
3. Check for the appropriate setting for TOCO baseline; adjust as needed.
Acquiring Uterine Activity Data
1. Place another belt around the mother's abdomen. Attach the
buckle of the TOCO transducer to the belt.
2. DO NOT use aquasonic coupling gel. Wipe off any gel present
on abdomen where the TOCO transducer will be placed.
3. Position the transducer. Place the TOCO transducer on the
midline halfway between the mother’s fundus and umbilicus
(see the picture at right for the positioning of the external
TOCO transducer).
4. The uterine activity reading at this point should be greater than 30 units and less
than 90 units. If the reading falls outside this range, the belt may be too tight or too
loose. If the belt is too tight, the contraction peaks may have a at-top at less than
100 on the TOCO scale. If the belt is too loose, the position of the transducer may
wander and cause unusable readings. Readjust the belt pressure as needed.
Monitor Adjustments
Press the key to adjust the value to the baseline. This should be done during non-
contraction intervals.
WARNING: NEVER use transducers to monitor patients underwater.
WARNING: Do not use aquasonic coupling gel on the TOCO transducer or TOCO
transducer contact area.
WARNING: Check the function of the TOCO transducer, and observe the change
of relevant values.
transducer
position
measure
TOCO
measure
FHR