[Anesthesia for severe genital hemorrhage].

Severe genital hemorrhage is one of the three leading causes of death in gyneco-obstetrics and oncology. Since this problem is a surgical emergency leaving no room for delay, the causes for this phenomenon are analysed in this paper, stressing the importance of detection and clinical assessment in order to determine the effective and immediate type of corrective surgical procedure. The principal objective is to specify the role of the anesthesiologist during the patient's preoperative, transoperative and postoperative periods. Some general and some specific recommendations are made with regards to the selection of the anesthetic technique depending on the degree of hemorrhage and the type of operation later to be performed. Finally, the criteria for two types of therapy are presented: blood transfusion therapy (and the transfusion of blood components) and hydroelectrolytic therapy, in which the anesthesiologist and the internist perform an essential role in the intensive care units, the latter being the ideal site for postoperative management.