A comparison of the auscultated acceleration test and the nonstress test as predictors of perinatal outcomes

In this prospective study, the predictive ability of the non stress test (NST), the most widely used antepartum screening test to assess fetal well-being, was compared with that of the auscultated acceleration test (AAT) in predicting perinatal outcomes. The AAT is a mow easily administered test than the NST, and, unlike the NST, does not use electronic fetal monitors. Study subjects were 205 women with singleton pregnancies greater than 33 weeks’ gestation, whose delivery occured within 7 days of receiving antepartum testing by NST at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The AAT yielded better prediction of poor perinatal outcomes than the NST. The NST, however, was a significantly better predictor of favorable outcomes than the AAT. The AAT has the potential to affect perinatal cam if false positive results can be decreased through further research.