The association between intrauterine balloon tamponade volume and postpartum hemorrhage outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effect of intrauterine balloon tamponade (IUBT) on the outcomes of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) according to the balloon volume and to investigate the clinical factors associated with poor PPH outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted in which patients with PPH underwent IUBT from January 2016 to August 2018. Patients with an IUBT volume greater than 350 mL (n=76) were compared to patients with an IUBT volume less than 350 mL (n=213). The clinical outcomes related to PPH included blood transfusion, estimated blood loss (EBL) after balloon placement, uterine artery embolization (UAE) after IUBT, and postpartum hospitalization. The results were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression models.

RESULTS

None of the clinical outcomes related to PPH and evaluated in our study were favorable in patients with an IUBT volume greater than 350 mL. Other factors associated with poor PPH outcomes after IUBT were placental site hemorrhage, shock index (SI) before IUBT, and antenatal hemoglobin.

CONCLUSION

It is better to avoid unnecessary balloon inflation in IUBT if the bleeding is reduced, and more attention should be paid to the procedure when the balloon is large (≥350 mL) than when it is small (<350 mL).