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Jill Durocher

Postpartum Hemorrhage: New Insights for Definition and Diagnosis

Published
June 1st, 2016
Type
Publication
Topic
Postpartum Hemorrhage
Authors
Borovac-Pinheiro, A., Pacagnella, R.C., Cecatti, J.G., Miller, S., El Ayadi, A.M., Souza, J.P., Durocher, J., Blumenthal, P.D., Winikoff, B.

Am J Obstet Gynecol; 2018 Aug; 219(2):162-168; doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2018.04.013

The current definition of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is inadequate for early recognition of this important cause of maternal mortality, responsible for more than 80,000 deaths worldwide in 2015. A stronger definition of PPH should include both blood loss and clinical signs of cardiovascular changes after delivery, which would help providers to more promptly and accurately identify PPH. Along with the amount of blood loss, clinical signs and specifically the Shock Index (heart rate divided by systolic blood pressure) appear to aid in more accurate diagnosis of PPH.