Postpartum hemorrhage

The prognosis of PPH depends on several factors including the underlying cause, the timeliness of diagnosis and intervention, the severity of the bleeding, and the overall health of the mother. With prompt and effective management, the prognosis is generally good, and most women recover fully without long-term complications.

However, in severe cases or when there are delays in diagnosis and treatment, PPH can lead to significant morbidity and, in extreme cases, can be fatal. In the US, mortality from PPH has decreased since the late 1980s and accounted for just over 10% of maternal deaths in 2009 (approximately 1.7 deaths per 100,000 live births).[2]Committee on Practice Bulletins-Obstetrics. Practice bulletin no. 183: postpartum hemorrhage. Obstet Gynecol. 2017 Oct;130(4):e168-86. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28937571?tool=bestpractice.com According to the World Health Organization, of the 14 million women worldwide who experience PPH each year, 70,000 die from the condition.[11]World Health Organization. WHO postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) summit. September 2022 [internet publication]. https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/who-postpartum-haemorrhage-(pph)-summit

Women with a history of PPH in a prior delivery are at an increased risk for recurrent PPH in a subsequent delivery. Patients with a history of PPH in a prior pregnancy had a 3-fold increased risk of recurrent PPH in a subsequent pregnancy, compared with women with no prior history of PPH. This risk increased with increasing numbers of previously affected pregnancies.[36]Oberg AS, Hernandez-Diaz S, Palmsten K, et al. Patterns of recurrence of postpartum hemorrhage in a large population-based cohort. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2014 Mar;210(3):229.e1-8. https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(13)01937-6/fulltext http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24351791?tool=bestpractice.com