RISK FACTORS AND COMPLICATIONS OF PLACENTAL ABRUPTION AMONG PATIENTS PRESENTING WITH ANTEPARTUM HEMORRHAGE

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Ante partum hemorrhage is defined as bleeding from genital tract occurring from twenty four weeks of gestation till the end of pregnancy. This study was conducted to determine the frequency of placental abruption, its risk factors and complications among patients with anti partum haemorrhage.
METHODS: This descriptive cross section study was conducted at Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, from 26-07-2011 to 01-05-2013. 334 patients were included in the study, using WHO software for sample size estimation. Permission was taken from the hospital ethical committee. Data was collected from all those patients who were received with ante partum hemorrhage. Examination including general physical examination, abdominal and obstetrical examination was done. All those patients among whom placental abruption was detected, were followed throughout pregnancy and labour including postpartum period to detect the occurrence of postpartum hemorrhage.
RESULTS: Frequency of placental abruption among patients presenting with antepartum hemorrhage was 20.7%. mean age of the patients was found to be 29 years. Mean period of gestation was almost 32 weeks.Gravidity was more than 4 and parity was found to be 3. Postpartum hemorrhage was found in 3% of the patients.
CONCLUSION: Abruptio placentae represents a potentially serious obstetric problem that tends to threaten maternal health. It leads to serious maternal complication of postpartum hemorrhage.

KEY WORDS: Antepartum hemorrhage, Placencental abruption, and Postpartum hemorrhage.