Postpartum Hemorrhage and Maternal Death |
Young Lae Cho |
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyungpook National University Hospital |
|
Abstract |
Postpartum hemorrhage is defined as the loss of 500 ml or more of blood from the reproductive tract after the third stage of labor. The usually guoted incidence of postpartum hemorrhage is 4-8%. Hemorrhage is the third leading cause of maternal mortality and is directly responsible for about one sixth of maternal deaths in the United States, and 22% or more of direct materna1 deaths is caused by hemorrhage in Korea. Causes of postpartum hemorrhage include uterine atony, obstetric lacerations, retained placental tissue, and coagulation defects. Of these, uterine atony, lacerations, and retained placental fragments account for over 90% of cases of postpartum hemorrhage. Although the overall maternal mortality rate has declined sharply, hemorrhagic death associated with childbirth is still a major obstetrical problem. This is not because of inadequate facilities or difficulty in transportation, but rather because of failure of anticipation and /or early recognition of excessive bleeding. It is better to avoid postpartum hemorrhage than to have to treat it. All patients in labor should be evaluated for ris k of hemorrhage. Anticipation of the excessive bleeding, prompt recognition, exact estimation of the blood loss, and proper management are all associated with decreasing postpar turn hemorrhage-related maternal death. |
|