Uterine exercise is quantified by figuring out the energy and frequency of contractions over a 10-minute interval. The energy of every contraction is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) above baseline uterine tone. The Montevideo unit (MVU) is calculated by multiplying the common stress generated by every contraction (above baseline) by the variety of contractions in a 10-minute window. For instance, if a affected person has contractions averaging 50 mmHg above baseline and experiences 4 contractions in 10 minutes, the MVU worth is 200.
This measurement offers a standardized technique for assessing the adequacy of labor and predicting the probability of vaginal supply. Clinicians use MVUs to information selections relating to interventions similar to augmentation with oxytocin. A adequate stage of uterine exercise, sometimes thought-about to be between 200 and 250 MVUs, is usually required for efficient cervical dilation and fetal descent. The idea was launched by Roberto Caldeyro-Barcia and Herman Alvarez in Montevideo, Uruguay, therefore the identify. Their work established a quantitative framework for understanding the physiology of labor and considerably improved the administration of labor dystocia.
