EFM Exam Dumps - Certified - Electronic Fetal Monitoring

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract–Based NCC C-EFM References:

The fetal heart rate tracing shows:

Baseline around 140 bpm

Minimal variability

No accelerations

No decelerations

Regular uterine activity but not tachysystole

This pattern is Category II, but in the context of:

28-week gestation

Immediate postoperative status after anesthesia

Maternal alertness and stability

NCC and AWHONN emphasize that maternal sedation, post-anesthesia effects, medications, and physiologic stress commonly cause temporary minimal variability without acidemia, especially at preterm gestations where baseline variability is normally lower.

Key NCC principle:

Minimal variability in a stable mother without decelerations does NOT require emergent delivery.

Instead, the fetus should be observed as anesthesia effects wear off.

Why other answers are incorrect:

A. Terbutaline – No tachysystole and no recurrent decels are present.

C. Cesarean birth – No bradycardia, no late decels, no absent variability, and no Category III criteria.

Thus, appropriate management is B. Continued monitoring.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract (No URLs):

According to AWHONN’s Fetal Assessment Text, Simpson & Miller, and Menihan, vibroacoustic stimulation is utilized during NSTs to elicit fetal accelerations, thereby minimizing testing time.

NCC-referenced sources describe VAS as:

• A method that awakens the fetus,

• Stimulates the fetal auditory system,

• Produces reactive accelerations in a neurologically intact fetus,

• Dramatically shortens NST duration, especially when the fetus is in a sleep cycle.

VAS does NOT measure amniotic fluid, nor does it have any effect on uterine activity (therefore cannot treat tachysystole).

The only correct purpose supported by NCC-cited literature is that VAS shortens the duration of the NST, making Option C correct.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From NCC-Aligned Sources:

Post-dates surveillance focuses on:

Amniotic fluid volume (AFI or deepest vertical pocket)

This is the most sensitive parameter of placental function

Oligohydramnios is strongly associated with post-maturity and perinatal morbidity

NCC and AWHONN emphasize amniotic fluid as the primary parameter for fetal well-being in post-term surveillance.

Why the incorrect answers are wrong:

B. Fetal weight → inaccurate and not used for surveillance decisions.

C. Placental calcification → poor predictor of fetal outcome and not used for management.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From NCC-Aligned Emergency Fetal Response Principles:

Following an eclamptic seizure:

Maternal hypoxia, apnea, and intense sympathetic discharge occur

Uteroplacental perfusion drops

Fetus experiences acute hypoxemia

The expected fetal heart rate response is a prolonged bradycardia

This is well-described in NCC and AWHONN emergency physiology:

“Post-seizure fetal bradycardia is common and often resolves within 5–10 minutes as maternal oxygenation stabilizes.”

Why other answers are incorrect:

B. Sinusoidal pattern — Rare and usually indicates fetal anemia, not post-seizure status.

C. Variable decelerations — Associated with cord compression, not seizures.

Correct answer: A. Bradycardia

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract–Based NCC C-EFM References:

Intrauterine pressure catheters (IUPCs) are an internal uterine activity monitoring device used when external tocodynamometry does not provide adequate assessment of contraction strength or frequency. According to NCC, AWHONN, Miller, and Menihan, the primary indication for placing an IUPC is to obtain accurate, quantitative measurement of uterine activity.

Purpose of IUPC (per NCC and AWHONN):

Measures exact intrauterine pressure in mmHg

Calculates Montevideo units (MVUs) to evaluate adequacy of labor

Clearly differentiates:

Frequency

Duration

Strength (intensity)

Resting tone

NCC explicitly lists the primary purpose as:

“Accurate assessment of uterine contraction pattern and intensity.”

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Define the quality of the fetal baseline – Incorrect

Fetal heart rate (FHR) baseline quality is determined by fetal ECG or FSE, not IUPC.

IUPCs monitor the uterus, not the fetal cardiac signal.

C. Rule out artifact – Incorrect

While an IUPC can reduce artifact from the toco, this is not its primary purpose.

Artifact is more commonly an issue with external FHR monitoring, corrected by repositioning or placing a fetal scalp electrode—not by using an IUPC.

Correct Answer:

B. Determine the contraction pattern

This aligns directly with NCC’s Electronic Monitoring Equipment domain: IUPCs provide the most accurate and reliable measurement of uterine activity when external monitoring is inadequate.