Management of Spontaneous Intracerebral Haemorrhage (sICH) at the University Hospital of Brazzaville (CONGO)

Spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (sICH) is characterised by bleeding within the brain parenchyma, without any accompanying vascular malformation, parenchymal abnormality or coagulation disorder. The study aimed to depict the management of sICH at the University Hospital of Brazzaville (UHB). It was an observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional analysis. Data collection was conducted retrospectively, covering the period from January 1, 2020 to August 31, 2022, spanning two years and eight months. The study examined socio-demographic, diagnostic, therapeutic, and evolutionary variables. We included 274 cases. We observed 160 men (58.4%) and 114 women (41.6%), resulting in a sex ratio of 1.4. The mean age was 55.3 ± 11.4 years, with ages ranging from 31 to 93 years. The detection of sICH was typically a result of experiencing motor deficits (59.5%) or disorders of consciousness (37.2%). The weightiness of one half of the body was the most common reason for seeking medical advice. Hematoma was capsulo-lenticular in 159 cases (58%) and capsulo-thalamic in 63 cases (23%). Hematomas were <30 ml in 162 cases (59.1%) and >30 ml in 112 cases (40.9%), and associated with hydrocephalus in 11.7% of cases. Conservative medical treatment was administered in 257 cases (94.2%) while surgical treatment was performed in 16 cases (5.8%). The surgical techniques used were external ventricular drainage (EVD) in 2 cases, ventriculo-peritoneal shunt in 5 cases, and hematoma evacuation in 10 cases. Death occurred before the 7th day of hospitalisation in 73 cases (57.8%) and after in 46 cases (42.2%). The median time to death was four days (Q1 = 2 days;Q3 = 7 days), with extremes of 0 and 216 days. .

A Study of the Causes of In-Hospital Mortality in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction Complicated by Gastrointestinal Haemorrhage

Objective:To analyze the risk factors for death during hospitalization in patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI)complicated by gastrointestinal bleeding(GIB).Methods:260 patients with AMI complicated by GIB who were admitted to the cardiology department of a hospital from January 2022 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.27 patients who died during hospitalization were designated as the control group and the 233 patients who survived as the observation group.Baseline data and clinical indexes of patients in the two groups were compared,and multifactorial logistic regression was applied to analyze the risk factors for death during hospitalization in patients with AMI complicated by GIB.Results:Univariate analysis showed that the control group had higher proportions of patients with Killip classification III to IV on admission,new arrhythmias,and mechanical complications,as well as higher heart rates,white blood cell counts,urea nitrogen,and creatinine levels.The proportion of patients who received transfusion therapy during hospitalization was also higher in the control group.Conversely,the control group had lower systolic and left ventricular ejection fraction rates compared to the observation group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Multifactorial logistic regression analysis revealed that new-onset arrhythmia(OR=2.724,95%CI 1.289-5.759),heart rate>100 beats/min(OR=3.824,95%CI 1.472-9.927),left ventricular ejection fraction<50%(OR=1.884,95%CI 0.893-3.968),BUN level(OR=1.029,95%CI 1.007-1.052),and blood transfusion(OR=3.774,95%CI 1.124-6.345)were independently associated with an increased risk of death during hospitalization in patients with AMI complicated by GIB.Conclusions:New arrhythmia,heart rate>100 beats/min,left ventricular ejection fraction<50%,elevated BUN levels,and blood transfusion are risk factors for death during hospitalization in patients with AMI complicated by GIB.

Difficult airway due to cervical haemorrhage caused by spontaneous rupture of a parathyroid adenoma: A case report

BACKGROUND Cervical haemorrhage due to spontaneous rupture of a parathyroid adenoma is a rare complication that may cause life-threatening acute airway compromise.CASE SUMMARY A 64-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital 1 day after the onset of right neck enlargement, local tenderness, head-turning difficulty, pharyngeal pain, and mild dyspnoea. Repeat routine blood testing showed a rapid decrease in the haemoglobin concentration, indicating active bleeding. Enhanced computed tomography images showed neck haemorrhage and a ruptured right parathyroid adenoma. The plan was to perform emergency neck exploration, haemorrhage removal, and right inferior parathyroidectomy under general anaesthesia. The patient was administered 50 mg of intravenous propofol, and the glottis was successfully visualised on video laryngoscopy. However, after the administration of a muscle relaxant, the glottis was no longer visible and the patient had a difficult airway that prevented mask ventilation and endotracheal intubation. Fortunately, an experienced anaesthesiologist successfully intubated the patient under video laryngoscopy after an emergency laryngeal mask placement. Postoperative pathology showed a parathyroid adenoma with marked bleeding and cystic changes. The patient recovered well without complications.CONCLUSION Airway management is very important in patients with cervical haemorrhage. After the administration of muscle relaxants, the loss of oropharyngeal support can cause acute airway obstruction.Therefore, muscle relaxants should be administered with caution. Anaesthesiologists should pay careful attention to airway management and have alternative airway devices and tracheotomy equipment available.

Examining the life-cycle of the Coblator II device:Increases in paediatric post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage after six years of use

All paediatric tonsillectomies were examined from 2012–2019 at a single tertiaryreferral institution,and all were performed by one of two paediatric otolaryngologists.One exclusively used the diathermy,the other exclusively used the Coblator II.Two Coblator units were purchased simultaneously in 2012 and not replaced.There was no significant difference in number of tonsillectomies performed(1298 via diathermy,1221 via Coblator),nor in postoperative day of bleed,patient age,indication for procedure,and no patient had an underlying coagulopathy.The most common indication for tonsillectomy in both groups was sleep-disordered breathing.There was no significant difference in postoperative haemorrhage rates between groups for the first six years of the study(0%-1.4%/year).Years 7 and 8 saw the Coblator group haemorrhage rate significantly increase(0%-0.6%diathermy group vs 2%-3%Coblator group),though still fell within accepted rate of postoperative haemorrhage.The devices were then replaced,and the differences in haemorrhage disappeared.There appears to be a significant increase in paediatric post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage when using a Coblator device greater than six years old.This may suggest a useful lifespan for the Coblator II device.

Magnusiomyces capitatus in Immune-Competent Patients with Pulmonary Haemorrhage and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Invasive fungal infections have grown significantly over the last two decades, owing to an increase in immunocompromised hosts and geriatric patients. When the host’s defenses are compromised, such infections are associated with severe morbidity and mortality. Here, a rare case of fungal infection in a 61-year-old immunocompetent male patient from Saudi Arabia was reported, who suffered from pulmonary hemorrhage and Systemic Lupus Erythematous. Bronchoalveolar Lavage was used as a diagnostic tool to identify the fungus reported in the case. The pathogenic fungal specie identified as Magnusiomyces capitatus, in macroscopic and microscopic morphological characteristics of the colonies. Based on clinical evidence, liposomal amphotericin formulation was recommended for initial therapy against fungal infection. Also, liposomal amphotericin B induced mycological eradication up to 70 percent in patients with proven Magnusiomyces capitatus infection. In addition to addressing suspected Systemic lupus erythematosus, the patient’s health has improved with no evidence of pulmonary bleeding and hemoptysis.

Use of portal pressure studies in the management of variceal haemorrhage

Portal hypertension occurs as a complication of liver cirrhosis and complications such as variceal bleeding lead to significant demands on resources. Endoscopy is the gold standard method for screening cirrhotic patients however universal endoscopic screening may mean a lot of unnecessary procedures as the presence of oesophageal varices is variable hence a large time and cost burden on endoscopy units to carry out both screening and subsequent follow up of variceal bleeds. A less invasive method to identify those at high risk of bleeding would allow earlier prophylactic measures to be applied. Hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) is an acceptable indirect measurement of portal hypertension and predictor of the complications of portal hypertension in adult cirrhotics. Varices develop at a HVPG of 10-12 mmHg with the appearance of other complications with HPVG > 12 mmHg. Variceal bleeding does not occur in pressures under 12 mmHg. HPVG > 20 mmHg measured early after admission is a significant prognostic indicator of failure to control bleeding varices, indeed early transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in such circumstances reduces mortality significantly. HVPG can be used to identify responders to medical therapy. Patients who do not achieve the suggested reduction targets in HVPG have a high risk of rebleeding despite endoscopic ligation and may not derive significant overall mortality benefit from endoscopic intervention alone, ultimately requiring TIPS or liver transplantation. Early HVPG measurements following a variceal bleed can help to identify those at risk of treatment failure who may benefit from early intervention with TIPS. Therefore, we suggest using HVPG measurement as the investigation of choice in those with confirmed cirrhosis in place of endoscopy for intitial variceal screening and, where indicated, a trial of B-blockade, either intravenously during the initial pressure study with assessment of response or oral therapy with repeat HVPG six weeks later. In those with elevated pressures, primary medical prophylaxis could be commenced with subsequent close monitoring of HVPG thus negating the need for endoscopy at this point. All patients presenting with variceal haemorrhage should undergo HVPG measurement and those with a gradient greater than 20 mmHg should be considered for early TIPS. By introducing portal pressure studies into a management algorithm for variceal bleeding, the number of endoscopies required for further intervention and follow up can be reduced leading to significant savings in terms of cost and demand on resources.

Historical overview and review of current day treatment in the management of acute variceal haemorrhage

Variceal haemorrhage is one of the most devastating consequences of portal hypertension,with a 1-year mortality of 40%.With the passage of time,acute management strategies have developed with improved survival.The major historical treatment landmarks in the management of variceal haemorrhage can be divided into surgical,medical,endoscopic and radiological breakthroughs.We sought to provide a historical overview of the management of variceal haemorrhage and how treatment modalities over time have impacted on clinical outcomes.A PubMed search of the following terms:portal hypertension,variceal haemorrhage,gastric varices,oesophageal varices,transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt was performed.To complement this,Google?was searched with the aforementioned terms.Other relevant references were identified after review of the reference lists of articles.The review of therapeutic advances was conducted divided into pre-1970s,1970/80s,1990s,2000-2010 and post-2010.Also,a summary and review on the pathophysiology of portal hypertension and clinical outcomes in variceal haemorrhage was performed.Aided by the development of endoscopic therapies,medication and improved radiological interventions;the management of variceal haemorrhage has changed over recent de-cades with improved survival from an often-terminating event in recent past.

Association of Satellite Sign with Postoperative Rebleeding in Patients Undergoing Stereotactic Minimally Invasive Surgery for Hypertensive Intracerebral Haemorrhage

There are few studies regarding imaging markers for predicting postoperative rebleeding after stereotactic minimally invasive surgery(MIS)for hypertensive intracerebral haemorrhage(ICH),and little is known about the relationship between satellite sign on computed tomography(CT)scans and postoperative rebleeding after MIS.This study aimed to determine the value of the CT satellite sign in predicting postoperative rebleeding in patients with hypertensive ICH who undergo stereotactic MIS.We retrospectively examined and analysed 105 patients with hypertensive ICH who underwent standard stereotactic MIS for hematoma evacuation within 72 h following admission.Postoperative rebleeding occurred in 14 of 65(21.5%)patients with the satellite sign on baseline CT,and in 5 of the 40(12.5%)patients without the satellite sign.This diiTerence was statistically significant.Positive and negative values of the satellite sign for predicting postoperative rebleeding were 21.5%and 87.5%,respectively.Multivariate logistic regression analysis verified that baseline ICH volume and intraventricular rupture were independent predictors of postoperative rebleeding.In conclusion,the satellite sign on baseline CT scans may not predict postoperative rebleeding following stereotactic MIS for hypertensive ICH.

A systematic review of the effects and mechanisms of preoperative 5α-reductase inhibitors on intraoperative haemorrhage during surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia

5α-reductase inhibitors （5α-RIs）, including finasteride and dutasteride, are commonly used medical therapies for benign prostatic hyperplasia （BPH）. Many studies reported that preoperative 5α-RI had impact on intraoperative haemorrhage during surgery for BPH, but it was still in controversial. So, we conducted a systematic review of the effects and mechanisms of 5α-RIs on intraoperative bleeding for BPH. MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Controlled Trail Register of Controlled Trials and the reference lists of retrieved studies were searched in the analysis. Sixteen publications involving 15 different randomized controlled trials （RCTs） and a total of 1156 patients were used in the analysis, including 10 RCTs for finasteride and five RCTs for dutasteride. We found that preoperative finasteride treatment decreases microvessel density （MVD） in resected prostate specimens. Total blood loss, blood loss per gram of resected prostate tissue and decreases in haemoglobin were all greatly reduced in the finasteride group as compared to controls. Dutasteride appeared to have no effect on bleeding. This meta-analysis shows that preoperative finasteride treatment could decrease intraoperative haemorrhage during surgery for BPH. Preoperative dutasteride had no effect on intraoperative haemorrhage, but further high-qualitv prospective studies are still needed to confirm this observation.

Role of self-expanding metal stents in the management ofvariceal haemorrhage:Hype or hope?

Despite the advances of medical,endoscopic and radiological therapy over recent years the mortality rates of acute variceal haemorrhage are still 16%-20% and the medium term outcome has not improved in the last 25 years. Early transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt has proved to be an effective therapy for selected groups of patients with a high risk of re-bleeding and moderate liver disease. However,there is an unmet need for a therapy that can be applied in patients with a high risk of re-bleeding and advanced liver disease either as definitive therapy or as a bridge to permanent therapy. Selfexpanding metal stents can be placed without the need for endoscopic or fluoroscopic control and,once in place,will provide effective haemostasis and allow a route for oral fluids and nutrition. They can remain in place whilst liver function recovers and secondary prophylaxis is initiated. We review the results of 6 case series including a total of 83 patients and the first randomised controlled trial of self-expanding metal stents vs balloon tamponade(BT) in the management of refractory variceal haemorrhage. We report that self-expanding metal stents provide effective haemostasis and perform better than BT in refractory bleeding,where they are associated with fewer complications. Whilst the most effective place for self-expanding metal stents in the management algorithm needs to be determined by further randomised controlled trials,currently they provide an effective alternative to BT in selected patients.

Massive pulmonary haemorrhage due to severe trauma treated with repeated alveolar lavage combined with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation:A case report

BACKGROUND Massive pulmonary haemorrhage can spoil the entire lung and block the airway in a short period of time due to severe bleeding,which quickly leads to death.Alveolar lavage is an effective method for haemostasis and airway maintenance.However,patients often cannot tolerate alveolar lavage due to severe hypoxia.We used extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO)to overcome this limitation in a patient with massive pulmonary haemorrhage due to severe trauma and succeeded in saving the life by repeated alveolar lavage.CASE SUMMARY A 22-year-old man sustained multiple injuries in a motor vehicle accident and was transferred to our emergency department.On admission,he had a slight cough and a small amount of bloody sputum;computed tomography revealed multiple fractures and mild pulmonary contusion.At 37 h after admission,he developed severe chest tightness,chest pain,dizziness and haemoptysis.His oxygen saturation was 68%.Emergency endotracheal intubation was performed,and a large amount of bloody sputum was suctioned.After transfer to the intensive care unit,he developed refractory hypoxemia and heparin-free venovenous ECMO was initiated.Fibreoptic bronchoscopy revealed diffuse and profuse blood in all bronchopulmonary segment.Bleeding was observed in the trachea and right bronchus,and repeated alveolar lavage was performed.On day 3,the patient’s haemoptysis ceased,and ECMO support was terminated 10 d later.Tracheostomy was performed on day 15,and the patient was weaned from the ventilator on day 21.CONCLUSION Alveolar lavage combined with ECMO can control bleeding in trauma-induced massive pulmonary haemorrhage,is safe and can be performed bedside.

How some demographic factors affects postpartum haemorrhage prevention in Maiduguri, Nigeria

Aim: The following work studied how tribal affiliation, educational level and occupation of some women that had PPH in Maiduguri metropolis between September 2007 and March 2009 relate with PPH occurrence. The study was aimed at identifying possible risk factors and also to compare the relative prevention efficacies of oxytocin or misoprostol within the matrix of these factors. Method: A total of 1800 pregnant women who have received either oxytocin injection or oral misoprostol in third stage of labour as a prophylaxis of postpartum haemorrhage, were enrolled within three health care facilities in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Each patient was observed at parturition and for 24 h after, during which blood lost was estimated to the nearest millilitres. Demographic characteristics were recorded in a structured proforma. The relationship of the occurrence of PPH (occurrence of blood loss > 500 ml) and mean blood loss (MBL) was studied with respect to the prophylactic medication used and some demographic factors. Results: The incidence of PPH was higher in Igbo, and some “minority” tribes of Borno state (Babur, Bura, Mafa). The tribes that constituted the majority of the study population (Kanuri, and Hausa) exhibited low incidences of PPH. Significant relationships were demonstrated between PPH and educational levels and occupations of participants. Conclussions: It was concluded that PPH occurrence is related to tribal affiliation, educational level and occupation, and the relative efficacies of oxytocin and misoprostol varies between the tribal groups.

Nd:YAG laser for subhyaloid haemorrhage: a series and observation of treatment outcomes

Dear Editor,Our authors present a three-case series review of subhyaloid haemorrhage presentations in a Tasmanian centre during 2017. Same-day Nd:YAG laser hyaloidotomy was performed in each case with rapid improvement of visual acuity.

Deep Learning and Machine Learning for Early Detection of Stroke and Haemorrhage

Stroke and cerebral haemorrhage are the second leading causes of death in the world after ischaemic heart disease.In this work,a dataset containing medical,physiological and environmental tests for stroke was used to evaluate the efficacy of machine learning,deep learning and a hybrid technique between deep learning and machine learning on theMagnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI)dataset for cerebral haemorrhage.In the first dataset(medical records),two features,namely,diabetes and obesity,were created on the basis of the values of the corresponding features.The t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbour Embedding algorithm was applied to represent the high-dimensional dataset in a low-dimensional data space.Meanwhile,the Recursive Feature Elimination algorithm(RFE)was applied to rank the features according to priority and their correlation to the target feature and to remove the unimportant features.The features are fed into the various classification algorithms,namely,Support Vector Machine(SVM),K Nearest Neighbours(KNN),Decision Tree,Random Forest,and Multilayer Perceptron.All algorithms achieved superior results.The Random Forest algorithm achieved the best performance amongst the algorithms;it reached an overall accuracy of 99%.This algorithm classified stroke cases with Precision,Recall and F1 score of 98%,100%and 99%,respectively.In the second dataset,the MRI image dataset was evaluated by using the AlexNet model and AlexNet+SVM hybrid technique.The hybrid model AlexNet+SVM performed is better than the AlexNet model;it reached accuracy,sensitivity,specificity and Area Under the Curve(AUC)of 99.9%,100%,99.80%and 99.86%,respectively.

Successful diagnosis and treatment of jejunal diverticular haemorrhage by full-thickness enterotomy: A case report

BACKGROUND Jejunal diverticula are the rarest of all small bowel diverticula and usually have no classic clinical symptoms.Jejunal diverticular haemorrhage(JDH)is a rare complication and can be difficult to identify and manage,hence it always resulting in a diagnostic delay and unsatisfactory clinical outcomes.Although with the advances in endoscopic technology,no consensus have been reached on the diagnosis and management of JDH,the conventional surgical intervention still remains the mainstream for the management of JDH.We report an unique case of a 63-year-old male who presented with massive haemorrhage from jejunal diverticula,which was successfully managed by initial resuscitation and definitive surgery.CASE SUMMARY A 63-year-old male was admitted as an emergency with 6 h history of haematemesis and melena.The haematemesis appeared to be bright red,with volume exceeding 100 mL.The amount of melena was estimated to be 200 mL.Initially,the patient received fluid resuscitation and three unit blood transfusion.Then,in order to localize the bleeding sites,colonoscopy,upper gastrointestinal endoscopy,and mesenteric angiography were utilized but failed to identify the source of haemorrhage.Informed consent form was obtained for further treatment,and he was treated with an exploratory laparotomy and the bleeding site was successfully located during the procedure.He was diagnosed with JDH.The postoperative period was uneventful,and he was discharged on day 18 after surgery.No rebleeding occurred at the 1-year follow-up.CONCLUSION In patients with gastrointestinal bleeding,if various techniques fail to identify the cause of haemorrhage in small bowel and haemodynamic instability is sustained with continuous resuscitation,we recommend surgical intervention should be the ultimate treatment of choice.

Median arcuate ligament syndrome with retroperitoneal haemorrhage:A case report

BACKGROUND Median arcuate ligament syndrome(MALS)is relatively rare and is due to extraluminal compression of the coeliac artery by the median arcuate ligament of the diaphragm.Here,we report a case of MALS found in a patient with abdominal pain and retroperitoneal haemorrhage for education and dissemination.CASE SUMMARY This article describes a 46-year-old female patient who was admitted to our hospital with abdominal pain as her chief complaint.She had experienced no obvious symptoms but had retroperitoneal bleeding during the course of the disease.Contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CT)and noninvasive CT angiography(CTA)led to an initial misdiagnosis of pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysm(PDAA)causing retroperitoneal hemorrhage.After intraoperative exploration and detailed analysis of enhanced CT and CTA images,a final diagnosis of MALS was made.The cause of the haemorrhage was bleeding from a branch of the gastroduodenal artery,not rupture of a PDAA.The prognosis of MALS combined with PDAA treated by laparoscopy and interventional therapy is still acceptable.The patient was temporarily treated by gastroduodenal suture haemostasis and was referred for further treatment.CONCLUSION MALS is very rare and usually has postprandial abdominal pain,upper abdominal murmur,and weight loss.It is diagnosed by imaging or due to complications.When a patient has abdominal bleeding or PDAA,we should consider whether the patient has celiac trunk stenosis(MALS or other etiology).When abdominal bleeding is combined with an aneurysm,we generally think of aneurysm rupture and hemorrhage first,but it may also be collateral artery rupture and hemorrhage.

STUDY OF NEONATAL INTRACRANIAL HAEMORRHAGE AND HYPOXIC ISCHEMIC ENCEPHALOPATHY

A series of 100 cases of newborn babies of Apgar scores ≤7 or gestationage ≤32 weeks were studied by head ultrasonography (US) and CT scans. Forty-twopoint four percent of the cerebral lesions observed was subependymal-intraventricularhaemorrhage (SEH-IVH), 24.1% of which was in preterm infants and 18. 3% infull-terms, 7. 6% had subdural haemorrhage (SDH), 6. 3% had intraparenchymalhaemorrhage (IPH), 2.5% had subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) and 1.9% hadintracerebellar haemorrhage (ICEH). Sixteen point five percent were diagnosed ashypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). The diagnostic accuracy of cerebralultrasonography was 82.8% by comparing with necropsy findings in 14 infants. Agreementbetween US and CT scan was 63.3%. The study shows that it was not easy to distinguishHIE from intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) clinically, the US and CT scans may be neces-sary. We revealed that the clinical severity of HIE did not follow the degree of CTchanges, and US was more sensitive in SEH-IVH, however, SDH was more sensitive inCT scans. Neurodevelopmental follow-ups were performed at 1.5-24 months (mean 7.5months) in 76 survival infants. Twenty-three of these infants (30. 3%) hadventriculomegaly. The mental and psychomotor performances on the Bayley scales were ab-normal in 33.3% (12/36) infants. Eight infants were noted to have major handicapsincluding impaired vision, diplegia, epilepsy or/and severe developmental delay.

Role of Placenta Parameters in Predicting Significant Feto-Maternal Haemorrhage

Purpose: Feto-maternal haemorrhage (FMH) is a complication of pregnancy and large FMH may lead to life-threatening anaemia in the fetus or newborn. In addition, exposure of Rhesus (Rh) D negative women to small amounts of fetal Rh D positive red cells during pregnancy or delivery may result in sensitization with its attendant problems of isoimmunisation. In most cases, the cause of FMH IS unknown. Through this study, we sought to determine if placental weight & diameter have any direct relationship with incidence and severity of FMH.Methods: This was a prospective study of parturients for presence of fetal red cells in the maternal blood circulation. The prepared slide was processed as in the acid elution test described by Kleihauer-Betke. The FMH was calculated using Mollison formula. Baseline data included maternal biodata, blood group, Rh D factor, placenta weight and diameter. Data generated were analysed with Frequency tables, cross-tabulations and Odd ratio and confidence intervals as appropriate.Results: Three hundred parturients were studied. However, only two hundred and ninety-five parturients were analysed, with five excluded due to lysed blood samples. A total of 52 parturients (17.63%) had demonstrable FMH, of which 8 (2.71%) were large FMH (>15 ml foetal cells). Both the placenta weight (P g, in contrast to 4.17% (4/96) in the group with weight of placenta below or equal to 500 g. All the 8 parturients with large FMH had placenta weights greater than 500 g. Placenta diameters were greater than 22 cm in 41/197 (20.81%) who had demonstrable FMH, compared with 11/98 (11.23%) whose diameter was less than 22 cm. Conclusion:Both the placenta weight and diameter are significant predictors of FMH in parturients. However, placenta diameter appears to be a minor predictor. These are factors that can be assessed antenatally by ultrasonography and in conjunction with other known obstetric factors, may possibly be considered in risk-based scoring system for predicting feto-maternal haemorrhage.

Concealed post-partum haemorrhageaemor: A case report

A woman with five previous normal vaginal deliveries and a history of right salpingectomy for ectopic preg-nancyhas sudden pain in term labour, with epidural analgesia. A concurrent worsening of fetal heart rate pattern with bradycardia urges quick vacuum delivery. Maternal post-partum pain and hemoglobin (Hb) drop suggest intra-abdominal haemorrhage. The combination of sudden, strong intra-partum pain and fetal distress should raise the suspicion of intra-abdominal haemorrhage. After vaginal delivery an accurate follow-up is mandatory.

Predictors for Massive Haemorrhage during Caesarean Delivery Due to Placenta Praevia

Objectives: To describe the incidence and predictive factors for massive haemorrhage during a caesarean delivery in women with placenta praevia. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study among consecutive women with a placenta praevia planned for a caesarean delivery between 2001-2011 in one academic centre and two teaching hospitals in the Netherlands. Massive haemorrhage was defined as ≥1000 mL blood loss during caesarean section. We used logistic regression analysis to assess which maternal and pregnancy characteristics were predictors for massive haemorrhage during caesarean delivery. Results: Of 54,794 deliveries, we identified 215 (0.39%) women with placenta praevia who underwent a Caesarean delivery, of whom 94 (44%) had massive haemorrhage at or after surgery. After univariable preselection, multivariable logistic regression indicated that higher maternal age (OR 2.09;95% CI 1.17 - 3.74), no Caucasian ethnicity (OR 1.73;95% CI 0.92 - 3.27), multiple pregnancy (OR 3.92;95% CI 0.72 - 21.28), lower systolic blood pressure during pregnancy (OR 1.03;95% CI 1.00 - 1.07) and the placenta located at the anterior wall (OR 2.21;95% CI 1.20 - 4.04) were independent predictors for massive haemorrhage during a caesarean delivery in women with placenta praevia. Predicted probabilities varied between 22% and 71%. The model has a reasonable discriminative ability and acceptable calibration. Conclusions: Women with placenta praevia are at high risk for massive haemorrhage during caesarean delivery. The risk profile can be used to identify extreme high-risk women in whom extensive preventive measures are justified.