Tratamiento de la hemorragia uterina posparto mediante taponamiento mecánico con balón intrauterino

Objective

To demonstrate the usefulness of uterine balloon tamponade in postpartum hemorrhage.

Material and methods

Five term pregnancies with postpartum hemorrhage were studied. The criterion for balloon placement was persistent bleeding despite pharmacological treatment.

Results

Balloon placement was successful in 100% of the patients. The mean decrease in hemoglobin was 3.2 g/dl (range: 1-5) and an average of three units of packed red blood cells per patient were required (range: 0-6). The mean volume of saline solution per balloon was 312 ml (range: 160-420) and the mean duration of treatment was 22 hours (range: 12-30).

Conclusions

Uterine balloon tamponade is an efficient method to control postpartum hemorrhage. Training is not required for the application of this technique, which can obviate the need for surgery. Because of its ease of use and reasonable cost, this method can be used in any hospital setting.