What it means
A gap in time. In labor, the interval is the time between the end of one contraction and the start of the next, when the uterus rests. On an electrocardiogramih-lek-troh-KAR-dee-oh-gramA test that records the heart's electrical activity as waves on paper or a screen.electr/o electricitycardi/o heart-gram recordFull entry , intervals such as the PR interval and the QT interval measure, in seconds, how long parts of the heart's electrical cycle take. In drug orders, the dosing interval is the time between doses.
For the nurse
In labor, the resting interval lets blood and oxygen reach the fetus. Report contractions that come less than 2 minutes apart or last longer than 90 seconds, especially during an oxytocin infusion.
In a chart
"Contractions every 3 minutes, lasting 60 seconds, with a resting interval of 2 minutes."
At a glance
| Spanish | intervalo |
|---|---|
| Also written | intervals |
Related terms
electrocardiogram
A test that records the heart's electrical activity as waves on paper or a screen.
uterine contraction
A tightening and then relaxing of the muscle of the uterus (womb), as happens during labor.
labor
The process of childbirth, from the start of regular contractions that open the cervix to the delivery of the baby and placenta.