Use of Uterine Balloon Tamponade for Management of Uncontrolled Postpartum Hemorrhage in Low- and Middle-Income Settings: Resources

Uterotonics effectively stop bleeding for most women who experience postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) caused by uterine atony. When women fail to respond to medical management and bleeding persists, one option before invasive surgery for women with atonic PPH is use of uterine balloon tamponade (UBT).

In most low- and middle-income settings, pre-fabricated UBT devices like the Bakri Balloon are neither widely available nor affordable. Gynuity Health Projects and partners conducted research in Egypt, Senegal and Uganda to assess the impact of introducing in secondary and district referral facilities a simple, low-cost condom catheter UBT device consisting of locally sourced materials.

Training providers at participating sites on when and how to use the UBT device was an important component of the study. With partners, we developed a training curriculum, including a one-page guide to assembly, insertion and removal of a uterine balloon and a FAQ. UBT trainers and providers trained in UBT use may find our resource materials useful.