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Postpartum hemorrhage
From WikEM
Contents
Background
Causes
- Uterine atony (responsible for 80% of cases)
- Retained placental tissue
- Lower genital tract lacerations
- Uterine rupture
- Uterine inversion
- Underlying coagulation abnormalities
Clinical Features
- Loss of >500 mL blood after vaginal delivery
- Usually within 24 hours of delivery
- If occurs more than 24 hours after delivery, consider: retained POC, coagulopathy, etc
Differential Diagnosis
Postpartum Emergencies
- Amniotic fluid embolus
- Chorioamnionitis
- Eclampsia
- Postpartum endometritis
- Postpartum headache
- HELLP syndrome
- Postpartum hemorrhage
- Mastitis
- Peripartum cardiomyopathy
- Preeclampsia
- Retained products of conception
- Uterine rupture
Evaluation
Work-up
- CBC
- Coags
- Type and cross
Evaluation
- Clinical diagnosis
Management
- Fluid resuscitation
- Consider Blood Products for Hemodynamic Instability
- Consider tranexamic acid (TXA) to reduce blood loss and hysterectomy[1]
- Evaluate placenta for retained products
- Examine for tears under good lighting and suction
- Treat underlying cause - 4T's: Tone, Trauma, Tissue, Thrombosis
Tone
Uterine atony (boggy uterus)
- Bimanual Massage
- Oxytocin (Pitocin)
- 1st line and most important drug - Oxytocin 80 units in 500 cc NS bag, run it wide open[4]
- OR 20 MILLIunits/min IV after placenta delivery (rapid administration may cause hypotension)
- OR 10 units IM if no IV
- Misoprostol (Cytotec) 600mcg SL or 1000 mcg rectally
- Methylergonovine (Methergine) 0.2mg IM q2-4 hrs (relative contraindication in patients with hypertension or Preeclampsia - may consider in severely unstable BP)
- Carboprost (Hemabate) 250mcg IM q15 min (avoid in patients with asthma)
- Bakri balloon placement, fill with warm 500ml NS (or large/multiple Foleys or pack) - use US to place to top of fundus and ensure no retained placenta
Trauma
- Genital tract tear
- Suture lacerations - figure of eight with 3-0 or 2-0 absorbable
- Deep lacerations such as those by the cervix may require OR
- Drain hematomas >3 cm
- Uterine inversion
- Manually replace placenta OR do not remove placenta until uterus has been replaced:
- Place hand inside the vagina and push the fundus cephalad along long axis of vagina
- Prompt replacement important since cervix contracts over time creating a constriction ring
- Discontinue uterotonic meds (oxytocin) if uterus not reduced, and consider uterine relaxant options:[5]:
- Nitroglycerine IV 50-250 mcg bolus over 1-2 min, then up to x3-4 additional doses q3-5 min to relax uterus
- Magnesium 4-6 g IV over 15 min
- Terbutaline 0.25mg IV or SQ
- After replacement:
- Fundal massage ± bimanual massage/compression
- Then oxytocin infusion with 40 units in 1 L of NS at 200-1000 cc/hr
Tissue
Retained placental tissue
- Pelvic exam may be normal other than blood
- Detect with US
- Manual removal
- Curettage
Thrombin
Reverse any coagulopathies
- Labs - platelets, coags, fibrinogen, d-dimer
- Replace appropriate blood components
Disposition
- Admit
See Also
References
- ↑ Ducloy-Bouthors AS et al. High-dose tranexamic acid reduces blood loss in postpartum haemorrhage. Crit Care. 2011;15(2):R117.
- ↑ WHO recommendations for the prevention and treatment of postpartum haemorrhage. 2012. ../docss/9789241548502_eng.pdf.
- ↑ Shakur H et al. The WOMAN Trial (World Maternal Antifibrinolytic Trial): tranexamic acid for the treatment of postpartum haemorrhage: an international randomised, double blind placebo controlled trial. Trials. 2010 Apr 16;11:40.
- ↑ Tita AT et al. Higher-dose oxytocin and hemorrhage after vaginal delivery: a randomized controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol. 2012 Feb;119(2 Patient 1):293-300.
- ↑ Rosen's Emergency Medicine - Concepts and Clinical Practice. 8th ed. 2013. Chapter 181: Labor and Delivery and their Complications. 2349.
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