Patient Blood Management Guidelines: Module 1

Critical Bleeding Massive Transfusion

| Background |

3.2 Pregnancy and children

3.2.1 Critical bleeding in pregnancy

Obstetric haemorrhage, including postpartum haemorrhage, can rapidly become life threatening and require massive transfusion. There is potential for concealed haemorrhage and early development of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in these patients. A module dedicated to obstetrics will be available in Phase III of the patient blood management guidelines.