Saving Lives with Post-Partum Haemorrhage Prevention
Postpartum Haemorrhage (PPH) is a life-threatening condition that affects millions of women worldwide and remains the leading cause of maternal death.
PPH is a serious complication defined as severe bleeding after childbirth, with blood loss of more than 500 ml after a vaginal delivery and more than 1000 ml following a caesarean delivery.
The underlying causes of postpartum haemorrhage are often preventable and manageable with appropriate medical care and the early detection and treatment of complications.
Contributing factors to postpartum haemorrhage may include:
Uterine Atony
The most common cause of PPH, arising when the uterine muscles fail to contract and constrict the blood vessels at the site where the placenta was attached, resulting in excessive bleeding.
Trauma
Childbirth-related traumatic injuries, such as damage to the birth canal, cervix or perineum can lead to bleeding and elevate the risk of PPH.
Retained Tissue
This occurs when parts of the placenta or membranes remain in the uterus after childbirth, preventing the uterus from contracting properly and increasing the risk of haemorrhage.
Blood Clotting
Medical conditions affecting the body’s ability to clot blood adequately can increase the susceptibility to postpartum haemorrhage.
How does simulation training help?
Simulation training is a valuable resource for healthcare professionals like midwives and obstetricians, helping them to develop skills which can prevent and manage postpartum haemorrhage.
Early detection
Timely detection is crucial in preventing severe PPH.
Simulation training equips healthcare workers with the ability to recognise early warning signs.
By replicating these scenarios, medical professionals can practice making rapid and accurate diagnoses, improving the chances of early intervention.
Effective treatment
When bleeding occurs, immediate access to treatment is essential.
Simulation training enables healthcare providers to be well-prepared for emergency situations.
By practicing these techniques under realistic conditions, professionals can improve the response times and effectiveness of their interventions.
Communication and teamwork
Healthcare providers must work together to seamlessly address severe PPH.
Through simulation training, teams can practice their roles and responsibilities and improve their ability to collaborate under pressure.
This includes understanding when to call for additional assistance or escalate the situation to higher levels of care.
The MODEL-med postpartum haemorrhage add-on allows for the realistic simulation of blood flow, enabling healthcare providers to practice managing PPH effectively.
It can replicate a blood flow of 1 litre of blood per minute for a duration of two minutes, with options to simulate bleeding from both high and low points within the uterus.
This is used with MODEL-med‘s own blood, which is non-toxic and washes out of cloth.
Through this training, healthcare professionals can enhance their skills in recognising the site and rate of haemorrhage, as well as mastering the use of tamponade to control bleeding.
Investing in simulation training is a valuable step in enhancing maternal care. It can improve early detection, teamwork, and the delivery of effective medical treatment for postpartum haemorrhage, saving lives and improving the quality care for mothers around the world.
See for yourself.