Feasibility of using a handheld tissue hardness meter to quantify uterine contractions and its clinical application for obstetric bleeding management.

Feasibility of using a handheld tissue hardness meter to quantify uterine contractions and its clinical application for obstetric bleeding management. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2019 Apr 25;:1-6 Authors: Imai K, Kotani T, Ushida T, Moriyama Y, Nakano T, Kikkawa F Abstract Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is a potentially life-threatening condition. Women undergoing caesarean section (CS) are at particular risk, and improvements in the management of PPH during CS are required. We investigated the use of a tissue hardness metre to quantify uterine contractions during CS with a view to its application for obstetric bleeding management. Fifty pregnant women at term who underwent elective CS were recruited. Using a tissue hardness metre, we measured uterine hardness twice during CS: after placental removal and before peritoneum closure. Each measurement was conducted at two standardised points: fundus and corpus uteri. Concurrently, obstetricians subjectively graded uterine contractions as weak, medium, or strong. The hardness metre accurately quantified the degree of uterine contraction assessed by the obstetricians, and could be an effective clinical tool for early recognition of intra-operative massive bleeding. IMPACT STATEMENT What is already known on this subject? Maintaining adequate uterine contraction leads to prevention of excessive blood loss, which decreases the incidence and severity of PPH. However, the assessment of uterine contraction...
Source: Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology - Category: OBGYN Tags: J Obstet Gynaecol Source Type: research
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