Obstetric Anaesthesia Annual Scientific Meeting 2025

The use of external aortic compression in the management of postpartum hemorrhage after vaginal birth and cesarean section

•Postpartum hemorrhage is a major cause of maternal mortality

•Besides causative treatment and volume replacement, temporizing measures like external aortic compression may be used to reduce blood loss (1,2)

•Aim of the study: to assess the use and experienced effect of external aortic compression

Results

•73 women invited to participate, 67 were included

•36 vaginal births and 31 cesarean sections

•External aortic compression applied:

o18 of the 36 women after vaginal birth

o4 of the 31 women after cesarean section

•Median bleeding volume: 1300 ml (900-4000)

•Application time varied from <5 minutes to 45 minutes

•86 % had a compression time of <15 minutes

•Primary indication: heavy bleeding, independent of total bleeding volume

•The main reason for not applying external aortic compression: evaluated not to be indicated (58%)

•31% stated that they had not considered it in the situation

•19 of the 22 healthcare workers reported that external aortic compression provided temporary bleeding control

•In 2 cases aortic compression had no effect on the bleeding

•Observational study conducted at a hospital with 3000 annual births

•Data collection: October 1st to December 31st, 2024

•Inclusion criteria:

oestimated blood loss >1000 ml

oand/or where external aortic compression was applied

•The use and experienced effect of external aortic compression were reported by the healthcare workers using a registration form.

•The results indicate that external aortic compression is more frequently used after vaginal birth than in cesarean section.

•According to healthcare workers the intervention provides temporary bleeding control.

The use of external aortic compression in the management of postpartum hemorrhage after vaginal birth and cesarean section.