Postpartum hemorrhage at the maternity unit of the Hospital das Clínicas de Goiânia

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a serious complication that can occur after childbirth and is characterized by excessive blood loss. It is, in fact, the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. Studies show that the prevalence of postpartum hemorrhage worldwide is approximately 10%, ranging from 2 to 16%, with uterine atony being the main etiology.
OBJECTIVES: To calculate the prevalence rate of PPH, identify the types of delivery of the patients, identify the causes, and identify maternal and fetal outcomes.
METHODOLOGY: This is a cross-sectional, retrospective, analytical, and descriptive study that evaluated the medical records of women who had hemorrhage at the Hospital das Clínicas from Universidade Federal de Goiás (HC-UFG) in 2021.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The mean age was 26.11 years, and the mean number of previous pregnancies of these patients was 1.55, both of which were consistent with the literature. We found 9 cases of postpartum hemorrhage among the 532 patients, resulting in a prevalence of 1.69%. Uterine laceration was the main cause of PPH, which was different from the global literature.
CONCLUSION: Our study found a prevalence of 1.69%. Five cases (55.55%) were normal deliveries, and 4 (44.44%) were cesarean sections. Five cases (55.55%) were due to vaginal laceration, 2 cases (22.22%) were due to placenta previa, one case (11.11%) was due to uterine atony and previous anticoagulation, and one case (11.11%) was due to an undefined cause. All patients with PPH survived. One newborn died, and the others were discharged from the hospital.