Primary post partum haemorrhage at the University Of Ilorin Teaching Hospital: a revisit

Abstract

This study was a retrospective analysis of 545 patients who had primary postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) out of 8,110 patients who delivered spontaneously per vagina at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital between 1^stJanuary 2001 to 31^st December 2003. The incidence of PPH was 6.7% and it accounted for 31% of maternal death during the study period. Uterine atony, cervical laceration, episiotomy and perineal tears were the leading associated aetiologies. The identifiable risk factor for PPH in this study was third stage of labour lasting beyond 30 minutes. Although some factors have been associated with an increased incidence of uterine atony leading to PPH, large proportion of patients who develop PPH had no identifiable risk factors. Therefore every woman in labour is at risk of developing PPH and must be closely monitored after childbirth for signs of haemorrhage and institution of precise measures to address the problem.

Keywords: post partum haemorrhage, uterine atony, and third stage of labour

The Tropical Journal of Health Sciences Vol. 13(1) 2006: 10-14