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Rates of transfusion in the obstetric setting have risen substantially during recent years despite global efforts to reduce unnecessary use of this limited resource. In an Australian study, researchers used linked hospital and birth data from nearly 900,000 deliveries between 2001 and 2010 to identify risk factors for and trends in blood transfusions during and after pregnancy.
Transfusions were performed in association with 12,147 births (1 in 71 deliveries). During the study period, overall rates rose from 1.2% to 1.6% and were highest in association with delivery. Among these peripartum transfusions, 81% were performed for hemorrhage. In analysis adjusted for maternal confounders, use of forceps was associated with the highest risk for tr…