Management of postpartum haemorrhage with uterine balloon tamponade: The way forward

Bimanual examination for clot evacuation: a retrospective cohort study of women with postpartum haemorrhage after vaginal delivery

BACKGROUND

Bimanual clot evacuation (BCE) is a simple clinical manoeuvre that may reduce need for surgical intervention in the management of severe postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). We sought to determine whether performing BCE in cases of severe PPH after vaginal birth reduces the need for surgical intervention.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review of women who delivered vaginally with a severe PPH between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2014 in a single tertiary women's hospital in Sydney, Australia was conducted. Severe PPH was classified as a blood loss ≥1000mls. The need for surgical management (including operating theatre uterine exploration or evacuation, intrauterine balloon tamponade, repair of significant trauma, uterine or internal iliac artery ligation, B-Lynch suture insertion or hysterectomy) was the primary outcome measure, as expressed by need for operating theatre utilisation.

RESULTS

From a cohort of 438, 149 women (34.0%) had BCE, of whom 29 (19.5%) required surgical management compared to 103 of 289 women with no BCE (35.6%); an odds ratio (OR) of 0.38 for BCE (confidence interval 0.20-0.72; p = 0.003). Early BCE (< 1 h of delivery) was associated with a further reduction in surgery (OR 0.24; confidence interval 0.08-0.70; p = 0.009) compared to late BCE (> 1 h of delivery). There was no reduction in estimated blood loss (p = 0.86) or blood transfusion (p = 0.71) with BCE.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests BCE reduces theatre utilisation in the context of severe PPH following vaginal delivery. Prospective trials are needed to determine whether BCE should be endorsed as a treatment modality for PPH post-vaginal delivery.

ebb® Complete Tamponade System: effective hemostasis for postpartum hemorrhage

As a leading cause of maternal death, postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) remains a worldwide obstetrical problem. However, in most cases, mortality and morbidity can be averted if efforts are immediately undertaken to achieve hemostasis. Uterine balloon tamponade has been shown to provide effective control of PPH and avoid more invasive surgical procedures and even the emergency peripartum hysterectomy. Recent clinical recommendation suggests that balloon tamponade should be considered earlier in the treatment cascade in conjunction with uterotonic agents to ensure hemostasis in the most timely fashion and maximize clinical outcomes. This paper profiles the ebb^® Complete Tamponade System, a unique dual-balloon single-use device that was developed specifically for hemostatic management of PPH. The ebb system combines a uterine conforming balloon that can be rapidly deployed with a vaginal balloon that eliminates the need for vaginal packing. The description, indications for use, procedural steps, and clinical characterization of this device are presented.