Controlling refractory atonic postpartum hemorrhage with Hemabate sterile solution

Abstract

The customary use of Hemabate sterile solution for postpartum hemorrhage was studied at 12 cooperating obstetrics units for a 12-month period. Outcomes of interest were the characteristics of patients chosen by the attending physicians to receive the drug, conditions of drug use, and patient status after drug use. Cessation of bleeding was considered a successful outcome and in 208 of 237 cases (87.8%) the hemorrhage was controlled directly after the administration of Hemabate sterile solution. An additional 17 successful outcomes were achieved with further administration of oxytocics for an overall success rate of 94.9%. Twelve cases of postpartum hemorrhage were considered pharmacologic treatment failures, requiring surgical intervention. Among the patients in whom pharmacologic treatment failed were factors that may have played a significant role in the cause of the hemorrhage including peripheral coagulopathy, retained products of conception, lacerations, chorioamnionitis, oxytocin-induced or augmented labor, increased fetal weight, magnesium-treated preeclampsia, and cesarean delivery. However, no combination of factors could be consistently associated with pharmacologic treatment failure.