This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Benfield, R. D. Articles by Hortobágyi, T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Benfield, R. D. Articles by Hortobágyi, T. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Waterproofing EMG Instrumentation

East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, benfieldr{at}mail.ecu.edu

Edward R. Newton, MD

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina

Tibor Hortobágyi, PhD

Department of Exercise and Sport Science, Biomechanics Laboratory at East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina

While still experimental, measurement of external uterine electromyographic (EMG) activity is a more sensitive and noninvasive method for measuring uterine contractility in human labor than the methods currently used in clinical practice. Hydrotherapy is purported to improve contractility in labor, yet there have been no reports of abdominal uterine EMG activity measured during immersion. To test telemetric EMG equipment and different waterproofing techniques under dry and immersed conditions, the authors recorded surface EMG activity from the abdominal muscles of 11 healthy, nonpregnant women, 22 to 51 years of age. After attaching one pair of electrodes to the skin on either side of the umbilicus and applying the waterproofing material, the authors tested the signal by asking participants to perform a short series of leg lifts while seated in a chair to evoke abdominal muscle contractions. They were then immersed to the chest in a hydrotherapy tub while performing two to three leg lifts over 60 s every 5 min for 60 min with 20 lb of weight suspended from their ankles to counteract the buoyancy effect of water. EMG activity was continuously recorded. They then repeated the dry-measures sequence. While waterproofing remained intact, EMG signals were essentially unchanged between dry and wet conditions. Of the 11 waterproofing applications tested, 10 failed at some point. In the data from the successful application, EMG signals in both channels exhibited stable baselines throughout and an absence of low-frequency artifact. The development of this technique allows for the recording of external uterine EMG activity during hydrotherapy. The authors have begun using it to investigate the effects of hydrotherapy on uterine contractility during human labor.

Key Words: electromyography • EMG • uterine • waterproofing • immersion • hydrotherapy • myometrium • labor instrumentation

Biological Research For Nursing, Vol. 8, No. 3, 195-201 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1099800406293313


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?