Table 1.
Observed descriptions of shoulder dystocia in medical records. Data are percentages (%)
| Description | Shoulder dystocia, all (n = 537) | Shoulder dystocia with maneuvers (n = 309) | Shoulder dystocia without maneuvers (n = 228) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tight shoulders | 96.8 | 98.1 | 95.2 |
| Additional obstetric maneuversa,b | 57.5 | 100 | 0 |
| Difficulty to deliver shoulders after the head is delivered | 54.0 | 70.6 | 31.6 |
| Suspected Erb’s palsy immediately after difficult/tight delivery of shoulders | 46.2 | 44.0 | 49.1 |
| Head-to-body delivery time | |||
| Reported | 11.4 | 18.1 | 2.2 |
| Over 60 s | 9.9 | 15.6 | 2.2 |
| Turtle sign | 8.0 | 11.7 | 3.1 |
| Downward traction fails to deliver shouldersa,b | 6.7 | 11.0 | 0.9 |
| Diagnosis code O66.0 used | 31.7 | 48.9 | 8.3 |
NB Multiple descriptions could be observed in a single shoulder dystocia case, RCOG the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, ACOG the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
aIncluded to RCOG definition of shoulder dystocia
bIncluded to ACOG definition of shoulder dystocia