Background

A reliable screening tool that could contribute to the identification of women with an increased risk of postpartum hemorrhage would be of great clinical significance.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to examine the added predictive value of a bleeding assessment tool for postpartum hemorrhage exceeding 1000 mL.

Patients/methods

Prospective two-center cohort study among 1147 pregnant women visiting the outpatient clinic or the maternity ward who completed a bleeding assessment tool prior to birth. The condensed MCMDM-1VWD bleeding assessment tool was adjusted to a questionnaire that could be used as a self-assessment bleeding tool. A score of ≥4 was considered to be abnormal.

Results

In the 1147 pregnant women in our cohort, bleeding scores ranged from -3 to 13, with a median of 1 (IQR -1 to 3); 197 (17%) women developed postpartum hemorrhage. Among women with a history of postpartum hemorrhage 29% developed postpartum hemorrhage. Among 147 women with an abnormal bleeding score (≥4), 27 (18%) developed postpartum hemorrhage, whereas the remaining 170 cases of postpartum hemorrhage had a normal bleeding score. Despite the high incidence of postpartum hemorrhage, the ability of the bleeding score to predict postpartum hemorrhage was poor: area under receiver operating curve 0.53 (95% CI 0.49-0.58) for postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) ≥1000 mL.

Conclusions

A history of significant postpartum hemorrhage was associated with an increased risk of subsequent postpartum hemorrhage. However, screening with a bleeding assessment tool did not help to discriminate women who will develop postpartum hemorrhage from women who will not.