FREQUENCY, DISTRIBUTION BY PLACE OF DELIVERY AND PARITY, CAUSES, MANAGEMENT OPTIONS AND OUTCOME OF PRIMARY POSTPARTUM HAEMORRHAGE IN POSTPARTUM WOMEN OF DISTRICT PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Background: Primary postpartum haemorrhage (PPPH) is the leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in low resource countries like Pakistan. The objectives of this study were to determine the frequency, distribution by place of delivery and parity, causes, management options and outcome of PPPH in postpartum women of District Peshawar, Pakistan. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Department of Gynaecology & Obstetrics, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan from 1st January 2019 to 30th June 2019. Sample size of 4,034 was with 0.39342 % margin of error, 95% confidence level, prevalence of PPPH 2% and a population of 23,607 postpartum women. All postpartum women were eligible. Those with secondary PPH, surgical management for PPPH done at some other hospital, with known bleeding disorders and on anticoagulants were excluded. All these patients were managed according to standard protocols. Data was collected for following variables; presence of PPPH (yes/ no), place of delivery (in-hospital deliveries/ referred cases), parity (primipara/multipara/grandmultipara), causes of PPPH (uterus atony/retained placenta-RPOC/ruptured uterus/genital tract tears), management options of PPPH (conservative management/laparotomy with repair of ruptured uterus/laparotomy with uterine artery ligation and B-Lynch/repair of genital tract tears other than ruptured uterus/removal of retained placenta & RPOC/hysterectomy) and outcome of PPPH (uneventful recovery/maternal near miss/maternal mortality). Frequencies and percentages with confidence intervals were calculated for these variables. Results: Out of 4034 postpartum women, frequency of PPPH was 400 (9.92%). Out of 4034 women, distribution of 400 cases of PPPH by place of delivery was 222 (5.50%) in-hospital deliveries and 178 (4.42%) referred cases and by parity it was primipara 79 (1.96%), multipara 243 (6.03%) and grandmultipara 78 (1.93%) cases. Out of 400 cases of PPPH, frequency of uterine atony was 254 (63.50%) and conservative management 245 (61.25%). Out of 400 cases, frequency of uneventful recovery was 352 (88%), maternal near miss 40 (10%) and maternal mortality eight (2%) cases. Conclusion: Primary postpartum haemorrhage (PPPH) continues to be a common and serious complication of delivery with uterine atony being its most predominant cause.