Conquering the Battlefield of Atonic Postpartum Hemorrhage with an Intelligible Technique of SR PPH Suction Cannula Application: A Retrospective Cohort Study at a Government Tertiary Care Center in Chennai

Objectives and background:The World Health Organization (WHO) defines postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) as blood loss of 500 mL or more within the first 24 hours after birth.It accounts for 35% of maternal deaths worldwide.Transfusion of blood and blood products has become a vital part of PPH management.In recent times, the Samartha Ram (SR) cannula commonly referred to as the SR cannula is being widely used in the management of PPH in many tertiary centers in India.This study aims at correlating the decrease in the need for blood transfusion in cases of PPH managed with the SR cannula.Materials and methods: This retrospective cohort study was done at the Institute of Social Obstetrics, Government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children, Chennai.The study sample involved a cohort of mothers admitted in ISO Govt KGH spanning a period of 1 year (January 2022 to December 2022) requiring management for PPH.The study analyzed the impact of employing the SR cannula in the management of PPH on the requirement for blood transfusions.Results: Our findings revealed the following distribution of blood transfusions among the study participants: 28 women (20.74%) received one unit of packed cell volume (PCV); seven women (5.10%) required two units of PCV; and three women (2.22%) necessitated three units of PCV.Remarkably, 97 women (71.8%) experienced PPH management without any need for blood transfusion. Conclusion:Our study underscores the importance of integrating the SR cannula as a standard component of the obstetric toolkit for managing PPH efficiently.This simple, cost-effective technique facilitates rapid hemostasis, demands minimal training, safeguards uterine integrity, and significantly reduces blood loss compared to more invasive interventions like hysterectomy.In light of these findings, we advocate for the widespread adoption of the SR cannula in the management of PPH cases, not only in our study hospital but potentially in other healthcare facilities as well.By reducing the need for blood transfusions and offering a safe and accessible alternative, the SR cannula can contribute substantially to maternal healthcare, particularly in resource-constrained settings, ultimately improving maternal outcomes and reducing the burden of PPH-related maternal mortality.