The current state of active third stage management to prevent postpartum hemorrhage: a cross-sectional study

To investigate the implementation of the International Confederation of Midwives/International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (ICM/FIGO) guideline on active third stage management in vaginal deliveries in daily clinical practice.

Observational, cross-sectional study.

One tertiary and one teaching hospital in the Netherlands.

Women undergoing vaginal deliveries.

A case record form was completed after every vaginal delivery. Primary outcome was adequate guideline adherence, defined as initial administration of 10 IU oxytocin, performance of controlled cord traction and uterine massage. Adequate guideline adherence was a priori estimated to be 10%. With a sample size of 600, i.e. 300 women per hospital, the standard error of the resulting percentage would be less than 2% for each hospital.

Six hundred and twenty six women were included. Guideline adherence was adequately performed in 48% of vaginal deliveries. Oxytocin was administered after birth in 98% of deliveries and in 80% the correct dose was used. Controlled cord traction was performed in 63% and uterine massage in 93%; however, the latter was performed as advised (at least eight times) in only 8%. The amount of blood loss was not associated with the use of either 5 or 10 IU oxytocin (p = 0.818). Controlled cord traction and uterine massage were more frequently performed when blood loss exceeded 500 mL (p < 0.001).

Active third stage management according to the ICM/FIGO guideline is adequately performed in only 48% of all vaginal deliveries. Results of this study call for training programs to increase adherence to the ICM/FIGO guideline.