Loading...
Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is associated with considerable maternal morbidity and mortality. Fibrinogen levels often indicate the severity of hemorrhage, but results are usually not available for an hour or longer. Fibtem A5, obtainable by thromboelastography, is a measure of fibrin-based clot strength that is typically available in 10 minutes.
To assess the ability of Fibtem A5 to predict progression to severe PPH (blood loss >2500 mL), U.K. investigators prospectively studied a consecutive cohort of 356 women with an estimated initial blood loss of greater than 1000 mL. The most common causes of excessive bleeding were uterine atony (42%) and genital-tract surgery or trauma (36%).
Women with hemorrhages needing treatment with 8 units of bl…