Acute obstetric coagulopathy during postpartum hemorrhage is caused by hyperfibrinolysis and dysfibrinogenemia: an observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) may be exacerbated by hemostatic impairment. Information about PPH-associated coagulopathy is limited, often resulting in treatment strategies based on data derived from trauma studies. OBJECTIVES: To investigate hemostatic changes associated with PPH. PATIENTS/METHODS: From a population of 11 279 maternities, 518 (4.6%) women were recruited with PPH ≥ 1000 mL or placental abruption, amniotic fluid embolism, or concealed bleeding. Routine coagulation and viscoelastometric results were collated. Stored plasma samples were used to investigate women with bleeds > 2000 mL or those at increased risk of coagulopathy defined as placenta abruption, amniotic fluid embolism, or need for blood components. Procoagulant factors were assayed and global hemostasis was assessed using thrombin generation. Fibrinolysis was investigated with D-dimer and plasmin/antiplasmin complexes. Dysfibrinogenemia was assessed using the Clauss/antigen ratio. RESULTS: At 1000 mL blood loss, Clauss fibrinogen was ≤2 g/L in 2.4% of women and 6/27 (22.2%) cases of abruption. Women with very large bleeds (>3000 mL) had evidence of a dilutional coagulopathy, although hemostatic impairment was uncommon. A subgroup of 12 women (1.06/1000 maternities) had a distinct coagulopathy characterized by massive fibrinolysis (plasmin/antiplasmin > 40 000 ng/mL), increased D-dimer, hypofibrinogenemia, dysfibrinogenemia, reduced factor V and factor VIII, and increased activated protein C, termed acute obstetric coagulopathy. It was associated with fetal or neonatal death in 50% of cases and increased maternal morbidity. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically significant hemostatic impairment is uncommon during PPH, but a subgroup of women have a distinct and severe coagulopathy characterized by hyperfibrinolysis, low fibrinogen, and dysfibrinogenemia associated with poor fetal outcomes.

Incidence of postpartum haemorrhage defined by quantitative blood loss measurement: a national cohort.

BACKGROUND: Visual estimation of blood loss following delivery often under-reports actual bleed volume. To improve accuracy, quantitative blood loss measurement was introduced for all births in the 12 hospitals providing maternity care in Wales. This intervention was incorporated into a quality improvement programme (Obstetric Bleeding Strategy for Wales, OBS Cymru). We report the incidence of postpartum haemorrhage in Wales over a 1-year period using quantitative measurement. METHODS: This prospective, consecutive cohort included all 31,341 women giving birth in Wales in 2017. Standardised training was cascaded to maternity staff in all 12 hospitals in Wales. The training comprised mock-scenarios, a video and team drills. Uptake of quantitative blood loss measurement was audited at each centre. Data on postpartum haemorrhage of > 1000 mL were collected and analysed according to mode of delivery. Data on blood loss for all maternities was from the NHS Wales Informatics Service. RESULTS: Biannual audit data demonstrated an increase in quantitative measurement from 52.1 to 87.8% (P < 0.001). The incidence (95% confidence intervals, CI) of postpartum haemorrhage of > 1000 mL, > 1500 mL and > 2000 mL was 8.6% (8.3 to 8.9), 3.3% (3.1 to 3.5) and 1.3% (1.2 to 1.4), respectively compared to 5%, 2% and 0.8% in the year before OBS Cymru. The incidence (95% CI) of bleeds of > 1000 mL was similar across the 12 hospitals despite widely varied size, staffing levels and case mix, median (25th to 75th centile) 8.6% (7.8-9.6). The incidence of PPH varied with mode of delivery and was mean (95% CI) 4.9% (4.6-5.2) for unassisted vaginal deliveries, 18.4 (17.1-19.8) for instrumental vaginal deliveries, 8.5 (7.7-9.4) for elective caesarean section and 19.8 (18.6-21.0) for non-elective caesarean sections. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative measurement of blood loss is feasible in all hospitals providing maternity care and is associated with detection of higher rates of postpartum haemorrhage. These results have implications for the definition of abnormal blood loss after childbirth and for management and research of postpartum haemorrhage.

Showing "what right looks like"--how to improve performance through a paradigm shift around implementation thinking.

During a three-year period, Christiana Care has observed significant and sustained improvements in technology-enabled project outcomes. Just in the patient throughput area, Christiana Care has seen an 11 percent reduction in length of stay in the emergency department (ED), a 23 percent reduction in patients leaving ED without treatment and a 28 percent reduction in bed-clean turnaround time, all while accommodating patient volume increases of 7 percent. This performance is directly related to a broader view of implementation embraced by the organization. By looking at more than just traditional project management, Christiana Care has shifted their implementation paradigm, focusing on benefits planning, user adoption, value realization and goal delivery within the portfolio. This has been a result of a journey that has included a subtle but deliberate introduction of the new implementation thinking, primarily marked by an experience-driven approach of demonstrating the benefits of good implementation practices. Christiana Care has created the environment and process to get the greatest value for its IT-related investments and to show "what right looks like."