Patient blood management in obstetrics: prevention and treatment of postpartum haemorrhage. A NATA consensus statement

Patient blood management (PBM) is the timely application of evidence-informed medical and surgical concepts designed to maintain haemoglobin concentration, optimise haemostasis, and minimise blood loss in an effort to improve patient outcomes. The aim of this consensus statement is to provide recommendations on the prevention and treatment of postpartum haemorrhage as part of PBM in obstetrics. A multidisciplinary panel of physicians with expertise in obstetrics, anaesthesia, haematology, and transfusion medicine was convened by the Network for the Advancement of Patient Blood Management, Haemostasis and Thrombosis (NATA) in collaboration with the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), the European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (EBCOG), and the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA). Members of the task force assessed the quantity, quality and consistency of the published evidence, and formulated recommendations using the system developed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) working group. The recommendations in this consensus statement are intended for use by clinical practitioners managing perinatal care of women in all settings, and by policy-makers in charge of decision making for the update of clinical practice in health care establishments.