EXTERNAL ABDOMINAL AORTIC COMPRESSION - A STUDY OF A RESUSCITATION MANEUVER FOR POSTPARTUM HEMORRHAGE

External aortic compression is an emergency manoeuvre proposed to redu ce postpartum haemorrhage and permit time for resuscitation and contro l of bleeding. To assess this technique, a prospective study was perfo rmed on twenty normal non-bleeding parturients. The abdominal aorta wa s compressed by firm pressure with a closed fist just above the umbili cus. Leg and arm arterial blood pressures were measured and femoral ar tery pulsation felt before, during and after compression. Leg blood pr essure was completely obliterated in 55% and significantly reduced (P < 0.01) in a further 10% of subjects. All of these subjects with reduc ed or absent leg blood pressure also had obliteration of the femoral p ulse with compression. Systemic arterial blood pressure was not signif icantly elevated by successful aortic occlusion. Discomfort with the m anoeuvre was significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the group of subjec ts that had successful aortic occlusion. It is recommended that extern al aortic compression be considered in severe life-threatening postpar tum haemorrhage, particularly during stabilisation or transport of the patient. This simple manoeuvre may be used as an adjunct to other mea sures and could prove of benefit, especially in locations or situation s where advanced medical assistance is geographically or temporally re moved.