WHO recommendation on uterine balloon tamponade for the treatment of postpartum haemorrhage

Overview

The primary aim of this recommendation is to improve the quality of care and outcomes for women giving birth, as they relate to postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) and its complications. This recommendation thus provides a foundation for sustainable implementation of uterine balloon tamponade in the immediate postpartum period only in those settings where standard PPH treatment protocols are available and implemented.

The primary audience for these recommendations includes health professionals who are responsible for developing national and local health-care guidelines and protocols (particularly those related to postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) prevention and treatment) and those involved in the provision of care to women and their newborns during labour and childbirth, including midwives, nurses, general medical practitioners and obstetricians, as well as managers of maternal and child health programmes, and relevant staff in ministries of health and training institutions, in all settings.