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Anaes TopicsObstetric anaesthesia

Anaes · Obstetric anaesthesia

Postpartum haemorrhage: uterotonic ladder, tranexamic acid, and massive obstetric haemorrhage

Also known as PPH anaesthesia · Massive obstetric haemorrhage · WOMAN trial TXA

Exam-exhaustive postpartum haemorrhage for fellowship: definitions and 4 Ts, uterotonic ladder with exact doses and contraindications, WOMAN trial tranexamic acid, fibrinogen-guided coagulation, cell salvage, massive obstetric haemorrhage protocol, placenta accreta spectrum, anaesthetic technique during surgical escalation, and SAQ/viva scaffolds.

high16 referencesUpdated 26 July 20268 min readVerification in progress

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ANZCAFRCAABAEDAICFCAI

Red flags

  • Major obstetric haemorrhage from about 1.5 L — transfusion and shock-pack thinking starts here; massive is unit-defined ongoing bleeding with instability.
  • TXA 1 g IV within 3 h (WOMAN) — do not omit.
  • Fibrinogen falls early; treat low fibrinogen aggressively.
  • Carboprost contraindicated in asthma.
  • Hidden intra-abdominal bleeding after CS can present as shock with a contracted uterus.
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Practise this topic10 MCQs with explanations

Target exams

ANZCAFRCAABAEDAICFCAI

Red flags

  • Major obstetric haemorrhage from about 1.5 L — transfusion and shock-pack thinking starts here; massive is unit-defined ongoing bleeding with instability.
  • TXA 1 g IV within 3 h (WOMAN) — do not omit.
  • Fibrinogen falls early; treat low fibrinogen aggressively.
  • Carboprost contraindicated in asthma.
  • Hidden intra-abdominal bleeding after CS can present as shock with a contracted uterus.
The one-line answer

Postpartum haemorrhage is a team resuscitation that kills by delay. Activate the massive obstetric haemorrhage (MOH) protocol by name, give tranexamic acid 1 g IV within three hours, climb the uterotonic ladder with agent-specific contraindications in mind, treat fibrinogen as the early critical analyte, escalate mechanically and surgically to hysterectomy, and protect the airway while you prevent the lethal triad of hypothermia, acidosis, and coagulopathy.[1][12]

Meet the patient

A 32-year-old para four woman delivers vaginally at 2am. The midwife calls you because the blood loss has passed a litre, the uterus is boggy, and the pressure is 84 over 50. She is pale, restless, and cold. Your registrar is reaching for the carboprost — but she is asthmatic, and that drug is bronchoconstrictive.[11]

Two questions decide the next twenty minutes of every PPH: what is bleeding, and is the team running the protocol yet? The four Ts answer the first; the named MOH activation answers the second. Hold those two and the ladder below slots into place.[12]

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References16ShowHide
  1. [1]WOMAN Trial Collaborators Effect of early tranexamic acid administration on mortality, hysterectomy, and other morbidities in women with post-partum haemorrhage (WOMAN): an international, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial Lancet, 2017.PMID 28456509
  2. [2]Mushambi MC, Kinsella SM, Popat M, et al. Obstetric Anaesthetists' Association and Difficult Airway Society guidelines for the management of difficult and failed tracheal intubation in obstetrics Anaesthesia, 2015.PMID 26449292
  3. [3]Frerk C, Mitchell VS, McNarry AF, et al. Difficult Airway Society 2015 guidelines for management of unanticipated difficult intubation in adults Br J Anaesth, 2015.PMID 26556848
  4. [4]Flick RP, Wilder RT, Pieper SF, et al. Risk factors for laryngospasm in children during general anesthesia Paediatr Anaesth, 2008.PMID 18315633
  5. [5]Mihara T, Uchimoto K, Morita S, Goto T The efficacy of lidocaine to prevent laryngospasm in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis Anaesthesia, 2014.PMID 24992191
  6. [6]Charbit B, et al. The decrease of fibrinogen is an early predictor of the severity of postpartum hemorrhage J Thromb Haemost, 2007.PMID 17087729
  7. [7]Dyer RA, et al. Oxytocin for labour and caesarean delivery: implications for the anaesthesiologist Curr Opin Anaesthesiol, 2011.PMID 21415725
  8. [8]Onwochei DN, et al. Uterotonics update Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol, 2024.PMID 39764811
  9. [9]Mousa HA, et al. Treatment for primary postpartum haemorrhage (Cochrane review) Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2003.PMID 12535465
  10. [10]Kirschen GW, et al. Eclampsia with RCVS: Postpartum seizure provoked by methergine Pregnancy Hypertens, 2022.PMID 35063759
  11. [11]Weir EK, et al. Bronchoconstriction and pulmonary hypertension during abortion induced by 15-methyl-prostaglandin F2alpha Am J Med, 1976.PMID 1274990
  12. [12]Günaydın B Management of Postpartum Haemorrhage Turk J Anaesthesiol Reanim, 2022.PMID 36511487
  13. [13]Dufour P, et al. The use of intravenous nitroglycerin for cervico-uterine relaxation: a review of the literature Arch Gynecol Obstet, 1997.PMID 9451516
  14. [14]Giancarelli A, et al. Hypocalcemia in trauma patients receiving massive transfusion J Surg Res, 2016.PMID 27083965
  15. [15]Durocher J, et al. High fever following postpartum administration of sublingual misoprostol BJOG, 2010.PMID 20406228
  16. [16]Pandit JJ, Andrade J, Bogod DG, et al. 5th National Audit Project (NAP5) on accidental awareness during general anaesthesia: summary of main findings and risk factors Br J Anaesth, 2014.PMID 25204697

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