Background: Admission cardiotocography (CTG) and intermittent auscultation (IA) of the foetal heart rate might help to identify those foetuses that could not withstand the stress of labour and also predict neonatal outcome. Admission CTG is a test done to trace foetal heart rate immediately after admission in labour ward which is usually carried out for 20-30min. FHR monitoring plays the most important role in management of labouring patient [ patient in labour may be a better term] when incidence of foetal hypoxia and progressive asphyxia increases. Now a day’s cardiotocography (CTG) become a popular method for monitoring of foetal wellbeing and it is assisting the obstetrician in making the decision on the mode of delivery to improve perinatal outcome.

Aims and objectives: The aim was to compare the associations of admission CTG and Intermittent [intermittent] auscultation of the foetal heart rate with labour and perinatal outcomes in high-risk obstetric population.

Materials and Methods: A hospital-based interventional study [interventional is not a study design] was conducted in Silchar Medical College and Hospital, Silchar (Assam), for 1 year from 1st June 2021 to 31st May 2022 after approval from ethical committee. A total of 200 patients attending Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department were examined during the study period.

Results:  The present study included 200 patients belonging to high-risk group. Out of the 100 ACTG subjects, 76 (76%) had reactive ACTG, 14 (14%) cases had suspicious ACTG, 10 (10%) cases had pathological ACTG. Out of 100 IA subjects, 89/ (89%) belongs to category 1, remaining 11(11%) belongs to category 2. All 10 patients with pathological ACTG had foetal distress i.e., 100%. It is evident that foetal distress significantly increased with worsening of ACTG (p<0.001). 22(28.9%), 4(28.6%) and 9(90%) neonates in reactive, suspicious and pathological ACTG group had Apgar score at 1 min <7 respectively. 11(12.4%), 9(81.8%) neonates in Category I and Category II in IA group had Apgar score at 1 min <7 respectively. Compared with Intermittent auscultation, admission CTG was statistically more significant in predicting the labour, neonatal outcomes, caesarean section rates, 1 min Apgar score less than 7, 5 min Apgar score less than 7 and admission to SNCU.

Conclusion: Admission CTG was a better predictor of labour and neonatal outcome than admission IA. CTG was therefore highly recommended as an integral tool in the management of labour.

Keywords: Admission cardiotocography (ACTG), Intermittent auscultation (IA), Foetal heart rate (FHR). Emergency

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