Practices for prevention, diagnosis and management of postpartum haemorrhage: impact of a regional multifaceted intervention.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of a multifaceted intervention on practices for prevention, diagnosis and management of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) and on the prevalence of major PPH in a French perinatal network.


METHODS
Quasi-experimental before-and-after survey.


METHODS
All maternity units (n = 19) of a French administrative region, operating as a perinatal network.


METHODS
One representative sample of all women delivering in the network, one representative sample of women with PPH deliveries and an exhaustive sample of women with major PPH.


METHODS
The multifaceted intervention took place between February 2003 and March 2004. Information was retrospectively collected for two periods, 2002 (before the intervention) and 2005 (after).


METHODS
Practices for prevention, diagnosis and management of PPH and prevalence of major PPH.


RESULTS
After the intervention, the pharmacological prevention of PPH increased from 58.8% to 75.9% of vaginal deliveries (P < 10(-4)), and the use of blood collecting bags from 3.9% to 76.3% (P < 10(-4)), but initial PPH management did not change significantly. However, the median delay for second-line pharmacological treatment was significantly shortened [from 80 min (35-130) in 2002 to 32.5 min (20-75) in 2005]. An increase was observed in the use of surgery for PPH (0.06% versus 0.12% of deliveries; P = 0.03) and in blood transfusions (0.18% versus 0.33%; P = 0.01). The prevalence of major PPH did not change (0.80% versus 0.86% of deliveries; P = 0.62).


CONCLUSIONS
The intervention was effective at improving PPH-related preventive and diagnostic practices in a perinatal network. Improving management practices and reducing the prevalence of major PPH might require a different intervention design.
Audureau
E
E
INSERM, UMR S953, Epidemiological Research Unit on Perinatal Health and Women's and Children's Health, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Paris, France.
Deneux-Tharaux
C
C
Lefèvre
P
P
Brucato
S
S
Morello
R
R
Dreyfus
M
M
Bouvier-Colle
M-H
MH
D000020:Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000328:Adult; D002985:Clinical Protocols / Q000592:standards*; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D006771:Hospitals, Maternity / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D010120:Oxytocics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006473:Postpartum Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000592:standards*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013048:Specimen Handling; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000020:Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal; D010120:Oxytocics; D010121:Oxytocin; C016767:sulprostone; D015232:Dinoprostone