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Obstetrics
Ambulance CTG streamed to hospital during maternal transfer
Feasibility of using a mobile cardiotocograph device in an ambulance during maternal transport
PloS One · 2026-10-30 · Added 1 November 2026
A Japanese feasibility study transferred 68 pregnant women from nine primary obstetric clinics to a university hospital with real-time remote CTG monitoring from an ambulance, achieving legible fetal heart-rate traces in all transfers (median 91.1% legible recording time) with no sessions lost to connectivity issues over median transport of 34.5 minutes.
- Study type
- Cohort
- Design
- Prospective feasibility study with staff surveys
- Participants
- 68 women with singleton pregnancies beyond 22 weeks, Japan, 2021–2023
- Main finding
- All 68 fetal heart-rate records legible, median 91.1% legible recording time; median ambulance time 34.5 min (range 15.0–67.0); no monitoring sessions discontinued for connectivity
- Caveat
- Feasibility only — no clinical outcomes, and the Japanese system of clinic-level birth with frequent transfers differs from Australian maternity networks
- Bottom line
- Context only
Why it matters in Australia (Medium relevance). Remote fetal monitoring during maternal transport is not standard in Australian ambulances, but the model — transmitting CTG ahead to the receiving obstetric unit — fits how Australian services already pre-notify specialist centres.
Learning goal
Weigh the role of remote fetal heart-rate monitoring during maternal transport in Australian maternity networks.
More
- Topic: Obstetrics
- Daily scan: 1 November 2026
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