Postpartum Hemorrhage

Abstract

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. The most common cause of maternal death in Korea is complications related to the postpartum period (obstetric embolism), accounting for 37.5%, while complications of labor and delivery (uterine atony, PPH, etc.) were the second most common cause, accouning for 21.9%. The effective treatment of PPH often requires multidisciplinary intervention. When managing PPH, multiple interventions (medical, mechanical, invasive, and nonsurgical and surgical procedures), which require different levels of skill and technical expertise, may be used to control bleeding. The healthcare provider needs to begin resuscitative efforts quickly, establish the cause of the hemorrhage, and possibly enroll the assistance of other care providers, such as an obstetrician, anesthetist or radiologist. Avoiding delays in diagnosis and treatment will have a significantly impact on sequelae and chances of survival. This review discusses the causes, identification, management, prevention and prediction of PPH.