Labour and delivery: baseline variability: practice question

A OBG question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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OBG · Labour and delivery: baseline variability

Sample item

A cardiotocograph shows a baseline of 140 bpm with an amplitude of oscillation of 12 bpm. How is the variability classified (NICHD)?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Moderate variability

Moderate variability is an amplitude of 6 to 25 bpm and indicates an intact fetal autonomic system and an unacidotic fetus. Minimal is 5 bpm or less, absent is undetectable, and marked is above 25 bpm. Moderate variability is reassuring even if decelerations are present.

Option by option

  • A. Minimal variability

    Minimal variability is up to 5 bpm, which is below the reading here.

  • B. Marked variability

    Marked variability needs an amplitude above 25 bpm.

  • C. Moderate variability (correct)

    Correct. An amplitude of 6 to 25 bpm is moderate.

  • D. Absent variability

    Absent variability means no detectable amplitude.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More OBG questions

Questions about this OBG question

What is the answer to this OBG question?

The best answer is C, Moderate variability. Moderate variability is an amplitude of 6 to 25 bpm and indicates an intact fetal autonomic system and an unacidotic fetus.

Why is "Minimal variability" not the answer?

Minimal variability is up to 5 bpm, which is below the reading here.

Why is "Marked variability" not the answer?

Marked variability needs an amplitude above 25 bpm.

Why is "Absent variability" not the answer?

Absent variability means no detectable amplitude.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Labour and delivery: baseline variability in OBG. Minimal is 5 bpm or less, absent is undetectable, and marked is above 25 bpm. Moderate variability is reassuring even if decelerations are present.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Labour and delivery: baseline variability?

Learn management algorithms as steps: PPH, eclampsia, ectopic pregnancy. Then use the flashcards and the other OBG questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.