Montevideo units
Encyclopedia
Montevideo units are a method of measuring uterine
performance during labor
. They were created in 1949 by two physicians, Roberto Caldeyro-Barcia and Hermogenes Alvarez, from Montevideo
, Uruguay
.
Units are calculated by internally (not externally) measuring uterine pressure above baseline tone and multiplying by the number of contractions
in a 10 minute period. Uterine pressure is generally measured through an intrauterine pressure catheter.
Montevideo units can be more simply calculated by summing the individual contraction intensities in a ten minute period, a process which should arrive at a result identical to the original method of calculation.
Generally, above 200 MVUs is considered necessary for adequate labor during the active phase.
Uterus
The uterus or womb is a major female hormone-responsive reproductive sex organ of most mammals including humans. One end, the cervix, opens into the vagina, while the other is connected to one or both fallopian tubes, depending on the species...
performance during labor
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
. They were created in 1949 by two physicians, Roberto Caldeyro-Barcia and Hermogenes Alvarez, from Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
.
Units are calculated by internally (not externally) measuring uterine pressure above baseline tone and multiplying by the number of contractions
Contraction (childbirth)
-Throughout menstrual cycle:The uterus frequently contracts throughout the entire menstrual cycle, and these contractions have been termed endometrial waves or contractile waves. These appear to involve only the sub-endometrial layer of the myometrium...
in a 10 minute period. Uterine pressure is generally measured through an intrauterine pressure catheter.
Montevideo units can be more simply calculated by summing the individual contraction intensities in a ten minute period, a process which should arrive at a result identical to the original method of calculation.
Generally, above 200 MVUs is considered necessary for adequate labor during the active phase.
Example
If, for instance:- uterine pressure above baseline were 50 mmHg
- during the 10 minute period of measurement 3 contractions occurred
- total Montevideo units (MVUs) would be equal to 150 MVUs (50 * 3)