This is the first of a special podcast series on obstetric critical care. I am joined on this series by Dr. Elizabeth Garchar, MD, FACOG. She is an OB/GYN and Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialist who has a special interest in obstetric critical care. She is also unique in that she flies regularly with our critical care transport teams and acts as one of our Assistant Medical Directors for the flight program. So, Dr. Garchar has unique insight into managing this population in transport.

This podcast focuses on severe postpartum hemorrhage. We discuss the epidemiology and risk factors as well as the nuances of diagnosis, specifically how blood loss is actually quantified in this setting. We also go through the importance of point-of-care ultrasound to help identify and manage the causes of postpartum hemorrhage. Then, we transition to the discussion of management, focusing on the medical management of uterine atony, and also go over advanced interventions such as uterine packing, balloon tamponade devices, and REBOA. Finally, Dr. Garchar discusses the indication and procedure for emergent hysterectomy as well as the post-procedure management critical care transport crews may have to perform.

References

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