Postpartum Hemorrhage Flashcards
(41 cards)
An early hemorrhage occurs when blood loss is greater than ____ in the first 24 hours after vaginal delivery or c section.
1000 mL (but 500-1000mL would be considered hemorrhage)
Normal blood loss after delivery is ___
300-500mL
Late hemorrhage occurs after ___
The first 24 hours
If you are unsure of how much blood loss there is what could you do to measure?
Weigh pad minus the weight of clean pad.
Main causes of early hemorrhage:
Uterine Atony
Lacerations
Retained placenta fragments
Inversion of the uterus (rare out of hospital)
Placenta Accreta (rare)
Hematomas (usually don’t know they’re there, symptoms of hemorrhaging but no blood)
Uterine Atony
The myometrium fails to contract in the uterus fills with blood because of the lack of pressure on the open blood vessels of the placental site.
Causes of Uterine Atony
Prolonged labor
Intrapartum stimulation with pitocin
Trauma due to obstetrical procedures
Over distention of the uterus
Excessive use of analgesia/anesthesia
Grandmultiparity
Most common cause of hemorrhage is _____. Heed a successful management is ____!
Uterine Atony
Prevention & education
Uterine Atony signs and symptoms:
Hey boggy uterus that does not respond to massage.
Abnormal clots.
Excessive or bright red bleeding. (Past first hour, pool of blood after just changing pad, pee flow) (Does she have high or low iron? Some women with higher iron can handle bleeding a bit more)
Unusual pelvic discomfort or back ache. (From blood pooling, after birthing placenta)
Management of Uterine Atony
-Document Vaginal Bleeding (30-60 secs of rubbing blood should not be oozing out)
-Fundal massage or bimanual compression
-Assess Vital Signs (shock)
- Medication- Pitocin, (Rarely Used: Methergine {can’t give to a woman who has problems with blood pressure issues, Hemabate {you wouldn’t give to a person who has asthma or respiratory issues}, more risks..)
Physician consult: D &C, (rare) Hysterectomy, replace blood and fluids (how far away is hospital, preplan for emergencies, how will you handle it?)
Postpartum Hemorrhage lacerations
Predisposing factors
Signs & symptoms
- Spontaneous or precipitous delivery
- size, presentation, and position of baby
- contracted pelvis
- Vulvar, cervical, perineal, urethral area and vaginal varices
Signs/symptoms
1. Bright red bleeding where there is steady trickle of blood and uterus remains firm.
2. Hypovolemia
Postpartum Hemorrhage lacerations treatment and nursing care
1 meticulous inspection of the entire lower birth canal
2 suture any bleeders
3 vaginal pack nurse may remove and assess bleeding after removal
4 blood replacement
You are signed to Miss B who delivered vaginally. As you do your postpartum assessment, you noticed that she has a large amount of lochia rubra (bright red bleeding) what would be the first measure to determine if it is related to a uterine atony or a laceration?
Ask how are you feeling? When’s the last time you went to the bathroom? How long has this been going on for?
Put your hand on her tummy and feel if the uterus is nice and firm, is it off to the side, is there a clots coming out, is it up.
Sometimes peeing can fix the problem. If uterus is soft that indicates uterine atony.
Retained placental fragments. When does this occur? Signs? Treatment?
This occurs when there is incomplete separation of the placenta and fragments of the placental tissue retained.
(The midwife has to aggressively feel around on the inside to get it all out)
Boggie, and relaxed uterus
Dark red bleeding
D&C
Administration of oxytocin
Administration of prophylactic antibiotics
Hematomas: (rare)
Treatment?
Pain- deep, severe, unrelieved, feelings of pressure
Rectal pain and tachycardia
Many times bleeding is concealed. (Vs changed from internal bleeding)
Treatment: expected management or may have to be incised and drained
Inversion of the uterus:
Predisposing factors:
The uterus inverts or turns inside out after a delivery.
Complete inversion a large red rounded Mass protrudes from the vagina.
Incomplete inversion uterus cannot be seen, but felt.
Predisposing factors:
traction applied on the cord before the placenta has separated
**Don’t pull on the cord unless it’s listen to has separated.
Any correct traction and pressure applied to the fundus especially when the uterus is flaccid.
**Don’t use the fundus to push the placenta out.
What does the Midwife have to do when a inversion of the uterus occurs?
You have to use your fist in manually invert the uterus back inside the way it’s supposed to go and it is very painful.
What’s treatment and continued care for an inverted uterus?
Replace the uterus manually replace and pack uterus.
Call 911 immediately.
Combat shock which is usually out of proportion to the blood loss.
Blood and fluid replacement.
Give oxytocin.
Initiate broad spectrum antibiotics.
May need to insert a nasogastric tube to minimize paralytic ileus.
Humidify The collaborating physician what has occurred.
Care must be taken when massaging.
Placenta Accreta:
Our part of the decidua basalis is absent and the placenta grown directly into the uterine muscle. (Usually high risk) (Not for for it of hospital Birth, usually seen on ultrasound)
Signs of Placenta Accreta
During the third stage of labor, the placenta does not want to separate. Attempts to remove the placenta in the unusual manner or unsuccessful, and lacerations or perforation of the uterus may occur.
Treatment of Placenta Accreta
If it is only small portions that are attached, then these may be removed manually.
If a large portion is attached a hysterectomy is necessary. (Not have kids anymore)
Postpartum infections:
Infection of the genital tract that is her within 28 days after abortion or delivery
Mastitis is also considered a postpartum infection of the breast tissue.
Bacterial causes:
Streptococcus groups A and B clostridium, e coli
Endometriosis predisposing factors:
Trauma
Hemorrhage, anemia, and hematomas
Prolonged labor
UTI
Excessive vaginal exams
P r o m
Depression
Diabetes
Weekend immune system: sleep deprivation, stress, poor nutritional intake, and limited water intake
Critical things to remember: signs and symptoms of postpartum uterine infection (endometritis)
Temperature increase of 100.4 or higher on any two consecutive days of the first 10 days postpartum, not including the first 24 hours.
Foul smelling lochia, discharge.
Malaise. Anorexia, tachycardia, chills
Pelvic pain
Elevated WBC