Postpartum Hemorrhage: A Literature Review

Abstract

In recent years, the increase in cases of postpartum hemorrhage in Brazil has made this topic the subject of numerous scientific investigations. The literature shows that postpartum hemorrhage is a strong conditioner of death and, therefore, has become the second cause of maternal death in Brazil considering the studies by Lima (2019). Moreover, postpartum hemorrhage is understood as any type of bleeding with a lost blood volume greater than 500 ml after vaginal deliveries and 100 after cesarean deliveries. Still on the subject, trauma of the vaginal canal, as well as placental retention or coagulation problems are considered the main conditioning factors. In this sense, the present study aimed to analyze the main practices of prevention and treatment of postpartum hemorrhage considering the current literature. We opted for integrative literature review, considering the main original studies published between 2019 and 2022, as well as from the descriptors postpartum hemorrhage, prevention and treatment of postpartum hemorrhage and women's health. Of the 60 papers found, 10 met the inclusion criteria and were used for analysis. The results showed that the management and selection of technique varies according to the patient's situation and that use of medication, management of the umbilical cord; uterine massage are the most recurrent. Moreover, it is highlighted the prevention of bleeding considering all gestational analysis of the woman, as well as fast and effective management in order to preserve the patient's life and decrease the number of deaths resulting from this health problem.