Postpartum hemorrhage in resource-poor settings.

Despite the strong interest of international health agencies, worldwide maternal mortality has not declined substantially over the past 10 years. Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the most common cause of maternal death across the world, responsible for more than 25% of deaths annually. Although effective tools for prevention and treatment of PPH are available, most are not feasible or practical for use in the developing world where many births still occur at home with untrained birth attendants. Application of many available clinical solutions in rural areas would necessitate substantial changes in government infrastructure and in local culture and customs surrounding pregnancy and childbirth. Before treatment can be administered, prompt and accurate diagnosis must be made, which requires training and appropriate blood measurement tools. After diagnosis, appropriate interventions that can be applied in remote settings are needed. Many uterotonics known to be effective in reducing PPH in tertiary care settings may not be useful in community settings because they require refrigeration and/or skilled administration. Moreover, rapid transfer to a higher level of care must be available, a challenge in many settings because of distance and lack of transportation. In light of these barriers, low-technological replacements for treatments commonly applied in the developed-world must be utilized. Community education, improvements to emergency care systems, training for birth attendants, misoprostol, and Uniject have shown promise as potential solutions. In the short term, it is expedient to capitalize on practical opportunities that utilize the existing strengths and resources in each community or region in order to implement appropriate solutions to save the lives of women during childbirth.     

Midgestational Amniotic Fluid Human Atrial Natriuretic Polypeptide (HANP): Possible Predictor of Third-Trimester Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension

Background. Hypertension in pregnancy in the developing world is largely underreported, misdiagnosed, and untreated, especially in rural settings, though it contributes significantly to maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. To reduce general global cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality, the World Health Organization aims to develop and validate low-resource-use blood pressure devices for use in developing nations. Objective and methods. To describe how existing antenatal care systems provide a useful and relevant model through which to evaluate the potential for this initiative to be applied in low-resource settings and to offer opportunities for much needed further research.     

Cost-effectiveness of misoprostol to control postpartum hemorrhage in low-resource settings.

OBJECTIVE: To test the cost-effectiveness of training traditional birth attendants (TBAs) to recognize postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and administer a rectal dose of misoprostol in areas with low access to modern delivery facilities. METHOD: A cost-effectiveness analysis, modeling two hypothetical cohorts of 10,000 women each giving birth with TBAs: one under standard treatment (TBA referral to hospital after blood loss >or=500 ml), and one attended by TBAs trained to recognize PPH and to administer 1000 microg of misoprostol at blood loss >or=500 ml. RESULT: The misoprostol strategy could prevent 1647 cases of severe PPH (range: 810-2920) and save $115,335 in costs of referral, IV therapy and transfusions (range: $13,991-$1,563,593) per 10,000 births. By preventing severe disease and saving money, it dominates the standard approach. CONCLUSION: Training TBAs to administer misoprostol to treat PPH has the potential to both save money and improve the health of mothers in low-resource settings.     

Neonatal resuscitation from a global perspective

The majority of perinatal and neonatal mortality occurs in low-resource settings in low- and middle-income countries. Access and quality of care at delivery are major determinants of the health and survival of newborn infants. Availability of basic neonatal resuscitation care at birth has improved, but basic neonatal resuscitation at birth or high-quality care continues to be inaccessible in some settings, leading to persistently high perinatal and neonatal mortality. Low-resource settings of high-income countries and socially disadvantaged communities also suffer from inadequate access to quality perinatal healthcare. Quality improvement, implementation research, and innovation should focus on improving the quality of perinatal healthcare and perinatal and neonatal outcomes in low-resource settings. The current review presents an update on issues confronting universal availability of optimal resuscitation care at birth and provides an update on ongoing efforts to address them.     

Postpartum haemorrhage and haematological management

Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Recent report of the Centre for Maternal and Child Enquiries (CMACE) in the United Kingdom, which was previously called Confidential Enquiries into Maternal and Child Health (CEMACH), confirmed a reduction in maternal deaths during the last Triennium (2006–2008). This is attributed to improvements in timely diagnosis and prompt and aggressive treatment. PPH is now the sixth most common direct cause of maternal deaths in the U.K. World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that postpartum haemorrhage accounts for 25% of maternal deaths worldwide. Substandard care and ‘too little being done too late’ remain a significant contributor of maternal deaths.Primary PPH refers to a blood loss from the genital tract of 500 ml or more within 24 h of delivery (or >1000 ml during caesarean section). Secondary PPH refers to an excessive blood loss between 24 h and 6 weeks after birth. Massive PPH refers to a blood loss of over 2000 ml (or >30% of blood volume) and is associated with increased maternal morbidity and mortality. A timely, multi-disciplinary and systematic approach to restore the volume, clotting system and the oxygen carrying capacity of blood, whilst steps are taken to arrest bleeding, is essential to save life.Primary postpartum haemorrhage is caused by uterine atony, genital tract trauma, retained placental tissue and membranes after birth or coagulopathy. The latter may not only be a cause of PPH, but also could be an effect of massive haemorrhage due to a ‘washout phenomenon’. Rapid and profuse bleeding results in loss of platelets and clotting factors, that get ‘washed out’. This may lead to a depletion of coagulation factors and resultant bleeding.     

Postpartum hemorrhage today: ICM/FIGO initiative 2004-2006.

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the main cause of maternal mortality. Yet, even though solutions have been identified, governments and donor countries have been slow to implement programs to contain the problem. While poverty and low educational level remain the underlying cause of PPH, the current literature suggests that active management of the third stage of labor can prevent it. The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) are attempting to address the chronic PPH crisis by educating their members on best practices and on troubleshooting where resources are inadequate. Some studies found oxytocin to be preferable to misoprostol in settings where active management is the norm. However, secondary clinical effects may prove more troublesome with oxytocin than with misoprostol, and misoprostol may prove to be more practical and equally effective in low-resource settings. Two new interventions are also proposed, the anti-shock garment and the balloon tamponade.     

Practical approaches to managing postpartum haemorrhage with limited resources

Mortality from postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is higher in low resource settings due to increased incidence, higher case fatality rates and poor general health of the population. The challenges of managing PPH with limited resources are presented. Feasible interventions for preventing and treating PPH for home births are described. Given that maternity care is organised around levels of care in low resource settings, guidance is provided for what measures can be performed to manage PPH at different levels of care (clinic, community health centre, district hospital, regional and central hospital); and by which cadre (midwife, clinical officer, general doctor, specialist). Effective management of PPH requires on-going training and emergency drills. Reducing mortality from PPH is not possible without available urgent transport from home to facility and between levels of care. In addition, the essential building blocks of the health system must be functional to enable effective management of PPH.     

Postpartum hemorrhage prevention: a case study in northern rural Honduras

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the leading cause of maternal mortality globally. Safe Motherhood policies have been directed towards the reduction of PPH by recommending active management of third-stage labor as the standard of care. One component of active management involves routine use of a uterotonic agent within 1 minute of the delivery of the baby. A case study at Clínica Materno-Infantil, a free-standing public birth center in Honduras, is presented, focusing on methods to reduce PPH. The nursing staff was trained to estimate blood loss and in methods to manage PPH, including elements of active management of the third stage of labor. Medical records were reviewed and an analysis of PPH management compared to estimated blood loss (EBL) was conducted. There was no significant correlation between PPH management techniques and EBL (r = .060; P = .368). There was a statistically significant (P < .001) correlation between oxytocin administration and lower EBL (r = -.232), indicating that there was less blood loss when oxytocin was administered. At Clínica Materno-Infantil, routine use of a uterotonic agent appears beneficial and further implementation of active management of the third stage of labor appears warranted.     

Postpartum hemorrhage--update on problems of definitions and diagnosis

Maternal mortality due to postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) continues to be one of the most important causes of maternal death worldwide. PPH is a significantly underestimated obstetric problem, primarily because a lack of definition and diagnosis. The 'traditional' definition of primary PPH based on quantification of blood loss has several limitations. Notoriously, blood loss is not measured or is significantly underestimated by visual estimation and there are no generally accepted cut-offs limits for estimated blood loss. A definition based on hematocrit change is not clinically useful in an emergency such as PPH, as a fall in hematocrit postpartum shows poor correlation with acute blood loss. The need for erythrocyte transfusion alone to define PPH is also of limited value, as the practice of blood transfusion varies widely. Definitions based on symptoms of hemodynamic instability are problematic, as they are late signs of depleted blood volume and commencing failure of compensatory mechanisms threatening the mother's life. There is thus currently no single, satisfactory definition of primary PPH. Proper and timely diagnosis of PPH should above all include accurate estimation of blood loss before vital signs change. Estimation of blood loss by calibrated bags has been shown to be significantly more accurate than visual estimation at vaginal delivery. Careful monitoring of the mother's vital signs, laboratory tests, in particular coagulation testing, and immediate diagnosis of the cause of PPH are important key factors to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.     

Management of abnormal uterine bleeding in low- and high-resource settings: consideration of cultural issues

In non industrialized countries the incidence of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) appears to be similar to that of industrialized countries, although data is scanty. In low-resource settings, women with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) often delay seeking medical care because of cultural beliefs that a heavy red menstrual bleed is healthy. Efforts to modify cultural issues are being considered. A detailed history and a meticulous examination are the important foundations of a definitive diagnosis and management in low-resource settings but are subject to time constraints and skill levels of the small numbers of health professionals. Women's subjective assessment of blood loss should be combined, if possible, with a colorimetric hemoglobin assessment, if full blood count is not possible. Outpatient endometrial sampling, transvaginal sonography, and hysteroscopy are available in some non industrialized countries but not in the lowest resource settings. After exclusion of serious underlying pathology, hematinics should be commenced and antifibrinolytic or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs considered during menses to control the bleeding. Intrauterine or oral progestogens or the combined oral contraceptive are often the most cost-effective long-term medical treatments. When medical treatment is inappropriate or has failed, the surgical options available most often are myomectomy or hysterectomy. Hysteroscopic endometrial resection or newer endometrial ablation procedures are available in some centers. If hysterectomy is indicated the vaginal route is the most appropriate in most low-resource settings. In low-resource settings, lack of resources of all types can lead to empirical treatments or reliance on the unproven therapies of traditional healers. The shortage of human resources is often compounded by a limited availability of operative time. Governments and specialist medical organizations have rarely included attention to AUB and HMB in their health programs. Local guidelines and attention to training of doctors, midwives, and traditional health workers are critical for prevention and improvement in management of HMB and its consequences for iron deficiency anemia and postpartum hemorrhage, the major killer of young women in developing countries.     

Epidemiology of postpartum haemorrhage: a systematic review

Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is an important cause of maternal mortality. We conducted a systematic review of the prevalence of PPH with the objective of evaluating its magnitude both globally and in different regions and settings: global figures, as well as regional, country and provincial variations, are likely to exist but are currently unknown. We used prespecified criteria to select databases, recorded the database characteristics and assessed their methodological quality. After establishing PPH (>or=500 mL blood loss) and severe PPH (SSPH) (>or=1000 mL blood loss) as main outcomes, we found 120 datasets (involving a total of 3,815,034 women) that reported PPH and 70 datasets (505,379 women) that reported SPPH in the primary analysis. The prevalence of PPH and SPPH is approximately 6% and 1.86% of all deliveries, respectively, with a wide variation across regions of the world. The figures we obtained give a rough estimate of the prevalence of PPH and suggest the existence of some variations. For a reliable picture of PPH worldwide - its magnitude, distribution and consequences - a global survey tackling this condition is necessary.     

The Use of Tranexamic Acid to Prevent Postpartum Hemorrhage

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is an antifibrinolytic pharmacologic agent with demonstrated effectiveness for reducing the incidence of death from blood loss following trauma and major surgery. In intrapartum care, TXA is being used in in conjunction with uterotonic agents to treat postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). Based on the findings of the WOMAN trial that found TXA reduced maternal death due to PPH, the World Health Organization recommends that TXA be part of the standard comprehensive PPH treatment package, and US professional organizations recognize its use as adjunctive treatment for PPH. Evidence suggests that TXA used prophylactically in the setting of cesarean birth may decrease blood loss and the incidence of PPH. There is limited evidence for prophylactic use of TXA in women of all risk categories following vaginal birth but prophylactic use in women who have an a priori risk for PPH is being investigated. This article presents a case in which a midwife identifies a woman in active labor who has significant risk factors for PPH. In consultation with the collaborating obstetrician, TXA is given early during the third stage of labor in addition to the recommended components of active management for the purpose of preventing PPH.     

The impact of post-partum haemorrhage in “near-miss” morbidity and mortality in developing countries

The global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 400 per 100,000 live births results in an estimated 529,000 maternal deaths annually. Most of these deaths occur in developing countries and only about 1% in developed countries. Besides mortality data, the identification and accurate documentation of “near-miss” morbidity (a more sensitive index) is extremely important to assess the quality of health care systems. It can suitably guide to adopt appropriate measures to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity. Haemorrhage remains a major cause of maternal mortality in both developing and developed countries followed by anaemia and infection, which are more common in developing countries. Post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) is a frequent complication of delivery. PPH occurred in 10.5% of all live births worldwide resulting in 13,795,000 cases in the year 2000. The case fatality rate for PPH was 1% and there were 132,000 deaths attributable to PPH. Anaemia as a consequence of PPH was estimated to occur in 1.6 million women every year. Thus, the prevention and adequate management of obstetric haemorrhage are likely to result in a significant reduction in the MMR and in the less frequently monitored “near-miss” morbidity. Strategies to be adopted with regard to PPH in developing countries may differ from those routinely available and practised in developed countries because of limited access to health care facilities and low institutional delivery rate in the former countries. Some low cost, simple techniques to prevent and manage PPH are described. These need to be tested in a wider population to determine which is most suitable for a particular area or country. The mortality and “near-miss” morbidity data should be continually assessed and only then will the impact of these strategies be known. First level midwifery care plus backup by well-equipped hospitals must be developed concomitantly. Anyone can conduct a normal delivery when all is going well but only those with good clinical judgement and the necessary skills will be able to anticipate and manage a problem. This is especially important in the context of PPH where the under-estimation of blood loss coupled with the rapidity of development of serious consequences is the key issue.     

Drape estimation vs. visual assessment for estimating postpartum hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: To compare (1) visual estimation of postpartum blood loss with estimation using a specifically designed blood collection drape and (2) the drape estimate with a measurement of blood loss by photospectrometry. METHODS: A randomized controlled study was performed with 123 women delivered at the District Hospital, Belgaum, India. The women were randomized to visual or drape estimation of blood loss. A subsample of 10 drape estimates was compared with photospectrometry results. RESULTS: The visual estimate of blood loss was 33% less than the drape estimate. The interclass correlation of the drape estimate to photospectrometry measurement was 0.92. CONCLUSION: Drape estimation of blood loss is more accurate than visual estimation and may have particular utility in the developing world. Prompt detection of postpartum hemorrhage may reduce maternal morbidity and mortality in low-resource settings.     

Assessing skilled birth attendants and emergency obstetric care in rural Tanzania: the inadequacy of using global standards and indicators to measure local realities

Current efforts to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity in low-resource settings often depend on global standards and indicators to assess obstetric care, particularly skilled birth attendants and emergency obstetric care. This paper describes challenges in using these standards to assess obstetric services in the Kilombero Valley of Tanzania. A health facility survey and extensive participant observation showed existing services to be complicated and fluid, involving a wide array of skills, resources, and improvisations. Attempts to measure these services against established standards and indicators were not successful. Some aspects of care were over-valued while others were under-valued, with significant neglect of context and quality. This paper discusses the implications of these findings for ongoing maternal health care efforts in unique and complex settings, questioning the current reliance on generic (and often obscure) archetypes of obstetric care in policy and programming. It suggests that current indicators may be insufficient to assess services in low-resource settings, but not that these settings should settle for lower standards of care. In addition to global benchmarks, assessment approaches that emphasize quality of care and recognize available resources might better account for local realities, leading to more effective, more sustainable service delivery.     

Resident obstetricians' awareness of the oral health component in management of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy

PATH, an international nonprofit organization, assessed nearly 40 technologies for their potential to reduce maternal mortality from postpartum hemorrhage and preeclampsia and eclampsia in low-resource settings. The evaluation used a new Excel-based prioritization tool covering 22 criteria developed by PATH, the Maternal and Neonatal Directed Assessment of Technology (MANDATE) model, and consultations with experts. It identified five innovations with especially high potential: technologies to improve use of oxytocin, a uterine balloon tamponade, simplified dosing of magnesium sulfate, an improved proteinuria test, and better blood pressure measurement devices. Investments are needed to realize the potential of these technologies to reduce mortality.     

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of trained traditional birth attendants in the Gambia in the prevention, recognition and management of postpartum haemorrhage

OBJECTIVES: to assess the knowledge, attitudes, practices and the potential role of trained Gambian traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in the prevention, recognition and management of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). DESIGN: a qualitative, reflective approach using semi-structured interviews followed by group discussions. SETTING: poorly-resourced rural villages in The Gambia, West Africa. PARTICIPANTS: 22 trained TBAs and their supervisors from 12 villages. FINDINGS: the TBAs recognised complications such as retained placenta and excessive blood loss and were well aware of the need to refer these women to a health facility quickly. Delay in referral was often due to late call-out of the TBA or lack of transport. Although the TBAs did not know the causes of excessive blood loss, they knew that anaemia was a risk factor for dying from PPH. The TBAs were keen to improve their knowledge and to participate in further training. KEY CONCLUSIONS: although all the TBAs were illiterate, information from training programmes had usually been incorporated into their knowledge and practice. While the local infrastructure remains poor, home deliveries and delayed referrals will continue and interventions for PPH need to be effective at the site of delivery i.e. in the woman's home. These Gambian TBAs have the potential to contribute to the management of PPH in these situations.Implications for practice: these Gambian TBAs could be trained to implement other practices relevant to prevention of PPH in the primary care setting. Linking together and maximising the skills of all health workers is important to reduce PPH mortality in home births in this setting.     

Community-level intimate partner violence and the circumstances of first sex among young women from five African countries

Background

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the leading cause of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity. The Non-pneumatic Anti-Shock Garment (NASG), a first-aid lower-body compression device, may decrease adverse outcomes from obstetric hemorrhage. This article is the first to report the effect of the NASG for PPH.

Methods

This pre-intervention/NASG study of 854 women was conducted in four referral facilities in Nigeria and two in Egypt between 2004-2008. Entry criteria were women with PPH due to uterine atony, retained placenta, ruptured uterus, vaginal or cervical lacerations or placenta accreta with estimated blood loss of ≥ 750 mL and one clinical sign of shock. Differences in demographics, conditions on study entry, treatment and outcomes were examined. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test and relative risks with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for primary outcomes - measured blood loss, emergency hysterectomy, mortality, morbidity (each individually), and a combined variable, "adverse outcomes", defined as severe morbidity and mortality. A multiple logistic regression model was fitted to test the independent association between the NASG and the combined severe morbidity and mortality outcome.

Results

Measured blood loss decreased by 50% between phases; women experienced 400 mL of median blood loss after study entry in the pre-intervention and 200 mL in the NASG phase (p < 0.0001). As individual outcomes, mortality decreased from 9% pre-intervention to 3.1% in the NASG phase (RR 0.35, 95% CI 0.19-0.62); severe morbidity decreased from 4.2% to 1%, in the NASG phase (RR 0.24, 95% CI 0.09-0.67). As a combination, "adverse outcomes," decreased from 12.8% to 4.1% in the NASG phase (RR 0.32, 95% CI 0.19-0.53). In a multiple logistic regression model, the NASG was associated with the combined outcome of severe maternal morbidity and mortality (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.18-0.99).

Conclusion

In this non-randomized study, in which bias is inherent, the NASG showed promise for reducing blood loss, emergency hysterectomy, morbidity and mortality associated with PPH in referral facilities in Egypt and Nigeria.     

产后出血的预测和预警

孕产妇死亡率逐年下降，但是产后出血仍是主要原因。产后出血的风险评估包括高危因素的识别和风险评估工具的使用，但现有手段仍有其局限的地方。同时，还需要实时对产后出血进行预警，常用指标包括出血量、失血速度、生命体征、休克指数等，同时基于这些指标构建实用的产后出血预警系统。