Maternal and fetal intrapartum safety monitor

Abstract

In part, the disclosure relates to a safety monitor and related methods to evaluate and manage intrapartum uterine contractions induced or augmented by Pitocin or other contraction inducing agents. The systems and methods include measuring a contraction parameter that may include one or more of frequency, strength, and duration of uterine contractions through a measurement device connected to a monitor. The systems and methods are programmed to stop the pump-based administration of a contraction inducing agent. Various lock out protocols and control over the ability to re-start a given pump are also described herein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A method for the safe administration of contraction inducing drugs comprising:
 measuring one or more of frequency, strength, and duration of uterine contractions through a measurement device connected to a monitor;   determining whether one or more of the measured frequency, strength, or duration of uterine contractions exceeds one or more predetermined thresholds; and   stopping the intravenous infusion pump from administering a drug when the frequency, strength, or duration of uterine contractions exceed the one or more predetermined thresholds.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising sending an alarm notification to a remote terminal when one or more predetermined thresholds is exceeded. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising restarting the intravenous administration of the drug through the infusion pump by entering a passcode. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the infusion pump is administering a contraction inducing drug intravenously to the patient. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising administering a contraction inducing drug intravenously to a patient through an intravenous infusion pump. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising determining the strength of contraction by measuring one or more pressure values in or from the uterus. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising measuring one or more pressure values in or from the uterus. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the contraction inducing drug is Pitocin or another form of synthetic oxytocin. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein users are limited to a fixed number of passcode entries based on the user's seniority and expertise. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the infusion pump receives power through the monitor, wherein the infusion pump is stopped by shutting down the power supply from the monitor. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 27 , where one or more of the passcodes correspond to categories of medical staff delineated by seniority or expertise, wherein each category has a set number of times to restart the pump, once the set number of times is met within a category, the pump cannot be turned on by a member of that category. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein one or more of the passcodes correspond to one or more categories, wherein each of the one or more categories has a set number of times to restart the pump. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein once the set number of times is met within a category, the pump cannot be turned on by a member of that category.