Created Aug 2019
Query
In the section ‘nonobstetric conditions complicating pregnancy’ of ACS 1521 Conditions and injuries in pregnancy it states:
“in the absence of specific documentation, a nonobstetric condition is classified as complicating the pregnancy as indicated by two or more of the four listed criteria.”
If the second criterion is met by an Obstetrician evaluating the patient and the evaluation includes listening to the fetal heart rate (eg, via stethoscope) is the third criterion then met as well? Or is fetal evaluation more than that?
Response
Clinical advice received was that stethoscopes are very rarely used, if at all, to listen to a fetal heart rate. The most common device used to listen to a fetal heart rate is a sonicaid/doppler.
However, the obstetricians consulted considered listening to a fetal heart rate with a stethoscope as a form of monitoring/evaluation, therefore would meet the third criterion.