Can vibroacoustic stimulation improve the efficiency of a tertiary care antenatal testing unit?

Objective: Our primary objective was to determine whether vibroacoustic stimulation (VAS) decreases time to fetal reactivity in the antenatal testing unit (ATU) of a tertiary care center.

Methods: We performed a prospective, quality assurance initiative to determine whether VAS could increase the efficiency of our ATU. On pre-specified "VAS days," VAS was applied for 3 s, if the non-stress test was non-reactive in the first 10 min. Generalized estimating equations models were used to account for within subject correlation due to multiple appointments per patient.

Results: VAS use was associated with a 3.76-min reduction in time to reactivity (21.79 vs 25.55, p = 0.011) and a 56% reduction in the need for a biophysical profile (OR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.21-0.90). Overall, however, we found no significant decrease in time spent on the monitor or in the ATU.

Conclusion: Compliance with a strict VAS protocol may improve the efficiency of increasingly busy ATUs.