Fibrinogen Plasma Concentration Before Delivery is not Associated With Postpartum Haemorrhage: A Prospective Observational Study

Abstract

(BJA. 2015;115(1):99–104) Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the most common cause of severe morbidity during labor, as well as the most common obstetric cause of intensive care unit admission. Three recent studies have found an association between low fibrinogen concentration after the onset of bleeding and increased risk of severe PPH, but it is unclear whether the reduced fibrinogen concentration is due to low endogenous fibrinogen concentration present before labor, or is the result of consumption, bleeding, or hemodilution. This prospective observational study evaluated any association between fibrinogen concentration at admission to the labor ward and PPH severity. In addition, the present study described fibrinogen concentration before and after labor and identified predictors for severe PPH.