Loading...
Many physicians routinely perform postpartum uterine exploration and manual sponge curettage in the belief that the procedure reduces postpartum hemorrhage and endometritis. However, while studies have documented the procedure's safety, they have not demonstrated its efficacy. To determine whether this procedure decreases immediate and late postpartum hemorrhage and the incidence of postpartum endometritis, Epperly and colleagues prospectively analyzed 320 women who had uncomplicated routine vaginal deliveries. Whether exploration and curettage was performed depended solely on the habits of the attending physician: 185 patients underwent the procedure and 135 did not.
In the immediate postpartum period, women who had not undergone the proced…