International Journal of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Background: Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is a major cause for maternal morbidity and deaths worldwide. They affect 14 million women and cause 70,000 deaths annually on a global level. Uterine atony is failure of uterus contraction after childbirth and major cause of PPH. This study evaluates the efficiency of SR suction cannula in managing atonic PPH.

Methods: A prospective interventional study was carried out at Sri Siddhartha Medical College and Hospital, Tumakuru for over 18 months and involved 125 women at risk of developing PPH. The study included women with atonic PPH and excluded those with other causes of PPH or pre-existing coagulation disorders. The SR suction cannula has been connected to a suction machine and maintains a negative pressure of 650mmHg. Then it was used to evacuate the uterine cavity and its efficiency in controlling haemorrhage was assessed.

Results: The majority of patients (83.1%) experienced blood loss between 151 to 200 ml. In most cases the bleeding cessation is within 2 to 4 minutes. The average level haemoglobin showed a statistically significant decrease from the time of diagnosis to 24 hours post intervention. 80% of the patients did not require further intervention after using the SR suction cannula, thus indicating its effectiveness in managing atonic PPH.