[Distribution of blood loss during vaginal delivery and cesarean section]

To describe the distribution of the volume of blood loss during vaginal and cesarean deliveries among women who delivered after 24 weeks of gestation.

A descriptive study of the distribution of blood loss by delivery route and for all patients after 24 weeks of gestation over a period of two years in a type III maternity. Patient and delivery characteristics were collected and blood loss was measured prospectively based on weighing pads and the use of a collector bag for vaginal deliveries, a suction cannula for cesareans sections. The following parameters were calculated: the mean (±SD), the median, interquartile range (IQR), the 5th and 95th percentile.

Seven thousand nine hundreds and eight patients were included. After vaginal delivery (n=6134), the mean volume of bleeding was equal to 180.1 mL (± 224.7 mL), the median to 100mL (IQR [100-200]), the 95th percentile to 500 mL [CI 95% 500-550]. For cesarean sections (n=1774), the mean volume of bleeding was equal to 557.9mL (± 496.2 mL), the median volume of blood loss to 400 mL (IQR [300-700]), the 95th percentile to 1300 mL [CI 95% 1200-1500].

The distribution of blood loss after cesarean was significantly higher than the distribution of blood loss after vaginal delivery.