EFFICIENCY OF MISOPROSTOL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF POSTPARTUM HEMORRHAGE

Abstract

Globally, postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) continues to be a major cause of maternal morbidity and death, especially in low- and middle-income nations. Because of its availability, stability, and convenience of administration, misoprostol, an analogue of prostaglandin E1, is being utilized more frequently as a substitute uterotonic medication.Objective: To assess the effectiveness of misoprostol in the management of postpartum hemorrhage.Methods: This longitudinal study was conducted over six months in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at a tertiary care hospital in Larkana, Pakistan. Using non-probability sampling, 164 women between the ages of 18 and 45 who had primary PPH as a result of uterine atony within 24 hours of delivery were included. Patients who needed emergency surgery, had coagulation problems, genital tract damage, or retained placental fragments were not included. In addition to usual care, misoprostol (600–800 mcg orally/sublingually or 800 mcg rectally) was given. Controlling bleeding with uterine contraction and stabilizing hemodynamics within two hours without requiring significant extra measures was considered effective. Results: The mean age of participants was 29.7 ± 5.5 years, and mean gestational age was 34.2 ± 3.3 weeks. Primigravida accounted for 45%, multigravida 41.4%, and grand-multigravida 13.4% of cases. Misoprostol was effective in 153 (93.2%) patients, while 11 (6.7%) showed inadequate response. Conclusion: For the treatment of postpartum bleeding, misoprostol is a very practical and successful alternative, especially in settings with low resources. Its role as a crucial uterotonic drug in lowering maternal morbidity and mortality is supported by its high success rate and advantageous pharmacological profile.