What is the false positive rate for electronic fetal monitoring?

The false positive rate for electronic fetal monitoring is often reported to be greater than 99%. This high false positive rate indicates that while electronic fetal monitoring can be beneficial in identifying potential fetal distress, it is also associated with a significant number of instances where the monitoring suggests a problem when there is none.

In practice, this means that when a fetal heart rate abnormality is detected, the likelihood that the fetus is genuinely experiencing distress is much lower than the monitoring may suggest. This can lead to unnecessary interventions, such as cesarean deliveries or other medical procedures, which may not have been required had the monitoring been more accurate.

Understanding this high false positive rate helps clinicians balance the benefits of monitoring with the risks associated with over-intervention, reinforcing the need for careful assessment and additional confirmatory tests when abnormalities are detected to avoid overtreatment. This awareness is crucial for improving perinatal outcomes and ensuring the judicious use of resources in maternal-fetal medicine.