Management of severe postpartum hemorrhage by intrauterine irrigation with prostaglandin E2

Article Abstract:

Life-threatening uterine hemorrhage is responsible for 25 percent of all maternal deaths after the delivery of a pregnancy. It is caused primarily by the failure of the uterus to contract after delivery. Blood loss from such a hemorrhage can be over a liter, causing a dangerous drop in blood pressure. Prompt treatment includes the administration of drugs that promote uterine contraction (oxytocin and ergot therapy), pressure applied directly to the uterus, uterine massage and replacement of lost blood. In cases where these measures are ineffective, removal of the uterus may be necessary. Prostaglandins are hormone-like substances produced by the body naturally, which exert their effect on smooth muscle by stimulating uterine contractions. Injection of prostaglandins into the uterus results in uterine contractions. However, to achieve direct access to the uterus, injections must be given through the abdomen or vagina. To see if bathing the uterine cavity directly with fluid containing prostaglandin E2 is an effective treatment, 22 patients with postpartum hemorrhages not responding to conventional therapy were studied. Patients were given continuous prostaglandin infusions using a small tube inserted into the uterus. In all 22 cases, uterine contractions were achieved and bleeding was stopped within minutes of prostaglandin infusion. None of the patients experienced any side effects. Infusing the uterine cavity with prostaglandin E2 produced dramatic response in women with postpartum hemorrhage. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Health aspects, Care and treatment, Drug therapy, Prostaglandins, Dosage and administration, Uterine bleeding, Uterine hemorrhage, Puerperal disorders

---

Evaluation of nitric oxide as a mediator of severe preeclampsia

Article Abstract:

Reduced blood levels of nitric oxide do not appear to play a role in causing severe preeclampsia. Produced by cells lining blood vessels, nitric oxide dilates blood vessels, thus reducing blood pressure. Researchers compared circulating levels of nitrate and nitrites between 21 women with severe preeclampsia and 21 similar pregnant women with normal blood pressure. They also incubated blood serum with cultured blood vessel lining cells. Preeclamptic women did not have lower circulating levels of nitric oxide, and incubating their serum with blood vessel lining cells did not inhibit the cells' capacity to make nitric oxide.

Measurement, Nitric oxide

---

The procoagulant activity of red blood cells from patients with severe preeclampsia

Article Abstract:

Altered red blood cell membranes may contribute to excessive blood clotting in pregnant women with preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure, excess coagulation, urinary protein excretion, and other physiologic disorders. Researchers collected red blood cells from 9 patients with preeclampsia, 10 normal pregnant women, and 9 nonpregnant women. When added to human blood plasma, the red cells from women with preeclampsia greatly accelerated the rate of clotting in the plasma, compared to the red cells from the other patients.

Blood clotting disorders, Blood coagulation disorders, Erythrocytes, Red blood cells

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Pattern of treatment failure following laser for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: implications for follow-up protocol
• Abstracts: The role of corticosteroid therapy in children with pneumococcal meningitis. Corticosteroids as adjunctive therapy in bacterial meningitis; a meta-analysis of clinical trials
• Abstracts: The effect of preexisting conditions on mortality in trauma patients. National inventory of hospital trauma centers
• Abstracts: Myometrial activity after local application of prostaglandin E2 for cervical ripening and term labor induction

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.