Assessing The Incidence And Risk Factors Of Postpartum Haemorrhage In Pregnant Women At Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is the leading cause of maternal mortality and an obstetric emergency that complicates 1-10% of all deliveries and require appropriate training for effective prevention, recognition and management. The aim of this study is to assess the incidence and risk factors of postpartum haemorrhage among pregnant women at Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching hospital. The main objective of the study was to determine the incidence of postpartum haemorrhage among patients delivering at Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital. This was a retrospective cohort study with a quantitative approach of 278 medical files. The data was analysed using SPSS version 26 and Microsoft excel and was presented in the form of frequency tables, bar charts, pie charts and histograms. The findings from an analysis of 203 medical records, revealed that 13.8% (28 cases) developed PPH. The majority of affected women were under 30 (82.2%), particularly those aged 25 to 29 (53.6%). Most PPH patients were Gravida 3 (39.3%) and Para 2 (35.7%). PPH primarily occurred at term (35.7%) and at 37 weeks of gestation (21.4%), with most deliveries being spontaneous vaginal births (89.3%). Prolonged labor emerged as the main clinical risk factor, affecting 35.7% of cases. The outcome was generally positive, with 92.9% of women discharged and only 7.1% resulting in death. Regression analysis indicated that age (p = 0.002) and gestational age (p < 0.001) were significant predictors of PPH, highlighting that younger and preterm patients are at greater risk.