Biomaterial Database

Umbilical cord blood gas analysis at the time of delivery. 1996

M Harris, and S L Beckley, and J M Garibaldi, and R D Keith, and K R Greene

OBJECTIVE it is now recommended that cord blood acid-base measurement is performed routinely at time of delivery in the UK as a measure of fetal response to labour. However, there remains some uncertainty about the value of this procedure. In this paper our experience of cord blood analysis is described and the literature is reviewed to: (1) provide an overview of the physiological basis of cord blood acid-base assessment; (2) describe the appropriate methodology and identify issues which have contributed to confusion and undermined the value of cord blood sampling; and (3) address the practical issues of cord blood sampling. CONCLUSIONS cord blood acid-base measurement has a sound physiological basis. It provides objective information which is a useful adjunct to subjective methods of newborn assessment, enables babies at risk of neonatal morbidity to be identified, can be helpful in litigation cases and is a prerequisite for clinical audit. However, to be of benefit the information must be correct and correctly interpreted.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D001784	Blood Gas Analysis	Measurement of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood.	Analysis, Blood Gas,Analyses, Blood Gas,Blood Gas Analyses,Gas Analyses, Blood,Gas Analysis, Blood
D001800	Blood Specimen Collection	The taking of a blood sample to determine its character as a whole, to identify levels of its component cells, chemicals, gases, or other constituents, to perform pathological examination, etc.	Blood Specimen Collections,Collection, Blood Specimen,Collections, Blood Specimen,Specimen Collection, Blood,Specimen Collections, Blood
D005260	Female		Females
D005312	Fetal Blood	Blood of the fetus. Exchange of nutrients and waste between the fetal and maternal blood occurs via the PLACENTA. The cord blood is blood contained in the umbilical vessels (UMBILICAL CORD) at the time of delivery.	Cord Blood,Umbilical Cord Blood,Blood, Cord,Blood, Fetal,Blood, Umbilical Cord,Bloods, Cord,Bloods, Fetal,Bloods, Umbilical Cord,Cord Blood, Umbilical,Cord Bloods,Cord Bloods, Umbilical,Fetal Bloods,Umbilical Cord Bloods
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D015982	Bias	Any deviation of results or inferences from the truth, or processes leading to such deviation. Bias can result from several sources: one-sided or systematic variations in measurement from the true value (systematic error); flaws in study design; deviation of inferences, interpretations, or analyses based on flawed data or data collection; etc. There is no sense of prejudice or subjectivity implied in the assessment of bias under these conditions.	Aggregation Bias,Bias, Aggregation,Bias, Ecological,Bias, Statistical,Bias, Systematic,Ecological Bias,Outcome Measurement Errors,Statistical Bias,Systematic Bias,Bias, Epidemiologic,Biases,Biases, Ecological,Biases, Statistical,Ecological Biases,Ecological Fallacies,Ecological Fallacy,Epidemiologic Biases,Experimental Bias,Fallacies, Ecological,Fallacy, Ecological,Scientific Bias,Statistical Biases,Truncation Bias,Truncation Biases,Bias, Experimental,Bias, Scientific,Bias, Truncation,Biase, Epidemiologic,Biases, Epidemiologic,Biases, Truncation,Epidemiologic Biase,Error, Outcome Measurement,Errors, Outcome Measurement,Outcome Measurement Error
D036861	Delivery, Obstetric	Delivery of the FETUS and PLACENTA under the care of an obstetrician or a health worker. Obstetric deliveries may involve physical, psychological, medical, or surgical interventions.	Obstetric Delivery,Deliveries, Obstetric,Obstetric Deliveries