Inpatient Obstetric Nurse Practice Exam 2025 – Complete Prep Guide

Acoustic stimulation is generally utilized to assess fetal well-being and can be beneficial in many circumstances. However, it should be avoided in cases of fetal bradycardia. This condition, characterized by a slow fetal heart rate—specifically under 110 beats per minute—can indicate potential fetal distress or compromise. Applying acoustic stimulation in such scenarios could potentially exacerbate the existing issues, causing further stress to the fetus. The priority in cases of bradycardia is to ensure the fetal heart rate returns to a normal range, rather than introducing stimuli that could complicate the situation.

In contrast, situations like fetal macrosomia and fetal tachycardia do not directly contraindicate the use of acoustic stimulation as it may still provide necessary information about fetal responsiveness. Similarly, fetal heart rate variability is an important measure of fetal well-being and does not contraindicate acoustic stimulation either. Thus, avoiding acoustic stimulation is a critical safety consideration specifically in the context of fetal bradycardia.