The validation of a computerized system for the interpretation of the antepartum fetal heart rate tracings (version 89/2.34)

We have developed a knowledge-based system for the interpretation of the antepartum fetal heart rate tracings. This study consists of four groups of patient: (1) 49 normal pregnancies with a normal perinatal outcome; (2) 13 normal pregnancies with abnormal perinatal outcome; (3) 33 high-risk pregnancies with abnormal perinatal outcome; and (4) 16 high-risk pregnancies with normal perinatal outcome. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of our expert system (version 89/2.34) were estimated to be 60.0, 85.7, 75.0 and 75.0%, respectively. When the normal pregnancies with abnormal outcome and the high-risk pregnancies with normal outcome were excluded from the population, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were calculated to be 57.7, 82.9, 68.2 and 75.6%, respectively (corrected values). The prevalance of abnormal outcome for this study was 41.7%.