Obstetric hemorrhage: anesthetic implications and management

Obstetric hemorrhage, a preventable condition, is one of the leading causes of death in developing countries. The role of anesthesiologist in the management of obstetric hemorrhage is very critical. The crux of management of obstetric hemorrhage is a consensual planning with formation of a multidisciplinary team and formulating a logistic protocol that can be disseminated locally for managing catastrophes. This review highlights the optimum preoperative care to assess the risk factors and isolate the patients prone to develop peripartum hemorrhage and also deals with the most recent guidelines and management protocols including conservative and interventional modes of treatment. Details of anticipated and unanticipated obstetric hemorrhage, fluid and blood transfusion strategies are discussed.