Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of labour admission test in identifying, early in labour, the foetuses at high risk for developing intrapartum distress and to determine the predictive value of labour admission test for foetal well-being in labour
. Methods: The present prospective study was done on 200, randomly selected patients, admitted between October 2007 to September 2008 to labour room of Lalla Ded Hospital, 30 Government Medical College, Srinagar. All patients in early labour who had completed 37 weeks of gestation with single live foetus in cephalic presentation were included and patients in 2nd stage of labour, with malpresentation and multiple pregnancy were excluded from the study. All patients were then subjected to Labour Admission Test and were categorized as reactive, equivocal or ominous in relation to the uterine 39 contractions. Post-delivery; the results of the Labour admission test were compared 41 with the neonatal outcome. Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis.
Results: The foetal distress was least common (5.55%) in patients with reactive admission test while it was highest (70%) in group with ominous admission test. Regarding ability to identify foetal distress, admission test had sensitivity-62.5%, specificity-86.9%, positive predictive value-39.5% and negative predictive value-94.4%.
Conclusions: 50 Labour admission test is a simple, easy to perform and relatively accurate method to 52 diagnose foetal compromise at the time of admission in early labour.