Abstract

BACKGROUND
Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) may be primary or secondary and is defined as the loss of 500 ml or more of blood within the first 24 h after birth. The Bakri balloon tamponade (BBT) is an intrauterine device used as an adjunctive treatment for refractory PPH. The aim of this study was to present the real-world experience from a single center on the effectiveness of the BBT for the treatment of PPH.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
This cohort study of 279 women was conducted in a real-world setting. Patients’ characteristics and clinical outcomes between the BBT Success group and BBT Failure group were analyzed by t test or chi-square test. The primary outcome was the success rate of BBT. The secondary outcomes were the perinatal outcomes.
RESULTS
The success rate of BBT was 88.89% (248/279). A blood transfusion rate of 65.95% (184/279) was observed. After using the BBT, significant differences were observed in intervention (P<0.001), blood loss (P<0.001), indwelling time of BBT (P<0.001), and blood transfusion (P<0.001) between the Success group and Failure group. The Success group showed greater range of descent in blood loss (991.56.15±13.65 mL in Success group vs 816.23±7.57 mL in Failure group). Of the 31 women with BBT failure, 87.10% (27/31) received uterine artery embolization (UAE), 96.77% (30/31) received blood transfusion, and none required a hysterectomy.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings from this study from a single center in China supported those from previous studies showing that the BBT was an effective treatment to control PPH.

Keywords: Postpartum Hemorrhage; Postpartum Period; Uterine Balloon Tamponade