A Case study: Nursing care for postpartum hemorrhage mothers who use drugs

Abstract

Postpartum Hemorrhage is a common cause of obstetric complications and the world’s leading cause of maternal mortality. The most common cause of bleeding is uterine atony, followed by perineal lacerations and retained or adherent placenta. It is imperative that the nurses, who care for the mothers during postpartum period, are competent to assess the risk factors for postpartum hemorrhage.The competent nurse can effectively manage the patient to prevent postpartum hemorrhage and severe complications such as hypovolemic shock , increase rate of unplanned ICU, blood or blood components transfusion’s rate and rate of hysterectomy. This article focuses on postpartum hemorrhage, prevention and the role of nurses in preventing postpartum hemorrhage. The article aims for the nurses refreshing their knowledge, applying the postpartum nursing practice guidelines to their practice setting and the role of nurses in preventing postpartum hemorrhage.