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A brand new method of diagnosing heavy bleeding after start (postpartum hemorrhage or PPH) is more practical at figuring out girls in want of therapy than the present diagnostic methodology, suggests a meta-analysis revealed in The Lancet.
PPH is a number one world reason behind maternal deaths throughout being pregnant. Remedy should be given shortly and delays in recognizing the situation value lives. Docs worldwide at the moment use a threshold of 500 mL or extra of blood loss to diagnose PPH, nonetheless, this threshold shouldn’t be based mostly on sturdy proof.
This research analyzed knowledge from greater than 300,000 girls from 23 nations, to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of utilizing completely different warning indicators to foretell problems from PPH. Their research discovered:
The traditional 500 mL threshold measure of blood loss predicted extreme life-threatening problems with 76% sensitivity and 81% specificity
The decrease threshold of 300 mL with no further measures had 84% sensitivity and 55% specificity
The decrease threshold of 300 mL plus excessive coronary heart price or low blood stress or important indicators suggestive of shock; or measured blood loss threshold of no less than 500 mL (whichever happens first) had 88% sensitivity and 67% specificity
The authors consulted with different specialists and concluded that utilizing prognosis indicators which catch extra girls with PPH (excessive sensitivity) needs to be prioritized over avoiding false positives (excessive specificity) and subsequently the edge of 300 mL blood loss plus excessive coronary heart price or important indicators suggestive of shock; or low blood stress or measured blood loss threshold of no less than 500 mL (whichever happens first) is the perfect prognosis standards to make use of for PPH.
The authors say their outcomes present a robust rationale for revisiting the present medical tips on PPH globally. They counsel {that a} clearer and extra versatile definition based mostly on their diagnostic standards may assist well being employees spot harmful bleeding sooner, allow sooner responses, and save the lives of many ladies all over the world.
Extra info:
Ioannis Gallos et al, Prognostic accuracy of scientific markers of postpartum bleeding in predicting maternal mortality or extreme morbidity: a WHO particular person participant knowledge meta-analysis, The Lancet (2025). DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(25)01639-3
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New methodology may catch extra girls prone to harmful blood loss throughout childbirth (2025, October 6)
retrieved 6 October 2025
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