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Preventing Postpartum Hemorrhage

Room in a clinic with multiple patients

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the single most significant cause of maternal mortality. This course will orient you to the causes of PPH and the evidence-based methods of preventing PPH.

Objective

By the end of this e-course, you will be able to:

  • Describe the contribution of PPH to maternal mortality globally
  • Discuss the causes of PPH
  • Describe healthy practices during pregnancy that help prevent mortality from PPH
  • Describe some healthy practices during the first and second stages of labor that help prevent PPH
  • Describe active management of the third stage of labor (AMTSL), the key evidence-based practice for preventing PPH
  • Discuss physiologic versus active management of the third stage
  • Discuss the evidence for the practice of AMTSL
  • Discuss the cost issues involved with AMTSL
  • Discuss the drugs that may be used in performing AMTSL
  • Discuss the importance of vigilant monitoring during the "fourth stage" of labor (immediately postpartum)
  • Describe the elements involved in country-level implementation (integration into a national Safer Motherhood program) of an AMTSL component
  • Discuss training considerations involved with performing AMTSL
  • Discuss drug management issues in institutionalizing AMTSL
  • Discuss challenges involved with the introduction of AMTSL

Credits

We greatly appreciate the invaluable help from the following individuals in developing this course:
 
Deborah Armbruster, PATH
Frances Ganges, Independent Consultant
Patricia Gomez, ACCESS
Andre Lalonde, The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC)
Harshad Sanghvi, JHPIEGO
Jim Shelton, USAID
Mary Ellen Stanton, USAID
Patricia Stephenson, USAID
Teresa Tirabassi, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Time

  • 2 hours

Published/Updated

  • Friday, September 9, 2005

Course Authors: 

  • Barbara Deller, ACCESS

Course Managers: 

  • Chris Davis, INFO Project

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