Regional and international prenatal telemedicine network for computerized antepartum cardiotocography.

The objective of this work was to review the activity of TOCOMAT, a system for antepartum cardiotocographic telemonitoring. Nine peripheral units recorded the traces, transmitted them via modem to the University operation center, where the computerized analysis was performed, and received the medical report within a few minutes, via fax or e-mail. Traces were classified as reassuring, nonreassuring, or pathological.

[Prenatal medicine: from the obstetric stethoscope to the computerized telecardiotocography].

The aim of this article is to illustrate the history of fetal auscultation from the 19(th) century, when the fetus was considered as an object and the obstetrician as a ''mechanic of the birth'', to the present age, when the fetus is a subject and the obstetricians have at their disposal all the means they need to confirm his well-being and to early diagnose his pathologies, even using prenatal telemedicine.

Four years' experience with antepartum cardiotocography using telemedicine.

We reviewed the first four years of experience with telemonitoring of patients with high-risk pregnancies. Nine peripheral units (eight in Campania, a region of south Italy, and one in Hungary) recorded cardiotocographic traces and transmitted them via modem to an operations centre at the University 'Federico II' in Naples, where the computerized analysis was performed. The medical report was returned to the peripheral unit via fax or email.

Effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists on uterine volume and vasculature and on the immunohistochemical expression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in uterine leiomyomas.

We investigated the effect of the GnRH agonist (GnRH-a) on the uterine volume and on the immunohistochemical expression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and the vasculature of leiomyomas. Twenty-five women were treated with leuprorelin acetate for 3 months; 46 untreated patients were enrolled as a control group. The uterine volume was measured by ultrasonography.

Conventional and computerized antepartum telecardiotocography. Experienced and inexperienced observers versus computerized analysis.

The study assessed the agreement in cardiotocogram interpretation between the 2CTG computerized system and experienced and inexperienced observers involved in a telecardiotocography project called 'TOCOMAT'. Both observers and computer analyzed FHR baseline, FHR variability, and number of large accelerations and of decelerations. The k coefficient was calculated for the statistical analysis.