Acetaminophen for Fetal Tachycardia: a Randomized Pilot Trial
Acetaminophen for Fetal Tachycardia: a Randomized Pilot Trial
The most common cause of fetal tachycardia is maternal fever. Fetal tachycardia often precedes the maternal fever, and fetal tachycardia confounds the interpretation of electronic fetal monitoring (EFM), increasing the rate of cesarean delivery for non-reassuring fetal status (NRFS). Our hypothesis is that treatment of fetal tachycardia with acetaminophen will significantly lower maternal body temperature and significantly lower baseline fetal heart rate (FHR). The importance is that interpretation of EFM will improve, thus allowing for a decrease in cesarean delivery for NRFS.
This trial is a randomized, non-placebo controlled, assessment of whether acetaminophen can lower maternal temperature and baseline fetal heart rate in laboring patients with fetal tachycardia.
Term singleton cephalic pregnancies in active phase labor (spontaneous or induced) with fetal tachycardia will be recruited. Patient will be excluded for:
Primary outcome measures are:
Secondary outcome measures are:
Power calculation Internal data collection at our institution of 53 patients showed a mean decrease in temperature of patients in labor with fever receiving acetaminophen is 0.3 degrees C measured an average (mean) of 90 minutes after administration of acetaminophen. Mean oral temperature before acetaminophen was 38.32, SD 0.33. Mean oral temperature after acetaminophen was 38.03, SD 0.85.
Sample size calculation shows that 27 patients are needed in each group to show significant difference using alpha 5% and beta 50%.
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria: