ABSTRACT
DEFINITION AND CLASSIFICATION Traditionally, postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is dened as blood loss in excess of 500 mL aer a vaginal delivery and greater than 1000 mL following a cesarean delivery. Severe hemorrhage is the most common cause of maternal death worldwide accounting for approximately 25% of all maternal deaths.1 More than one half of these deaths due to severe hemorrhage occur within 24 hours of delivery. In Africa and Asia, hemorrhage accounts for 30.8% and 33.9% of all direct obstetric mortality.1 is amounts to approximately 140,000 deaths annually worldwide or one death every 4 minutes.2 In the United States hemorrhage is among the top three causes for pregnancy-related death along with hypertensive disorders and embolism.3
