Uterine tamponade using condom catheter balloon in the management of non-traumatic postpartum hemorrhage

Aim: To study the efficacy and complications of uterine tamponade using condom catheter balloon in non-traumatic postpartum hemorrhage (PPH).

Material and methods: This prospective study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital in India. Eighteen patients with non-traumatic PPH not responding to medical management were included in the study. Uterine tamponade was achieved by a condom catheter balloon filled with saline and kept in situ for 8-48 h. The main outcome measures were success rate in controlling hemorrhage, time required to stop bleeding, subsequent morbidity and technical difficulties. Data was analyzed using appropriate statistical methods.

Results: The success rate of condom catheter balloon in controlling hemorrhage was 94%. The mean amount of fluid filled in the condom catheter balloon was 409 mL. The average time taken to control bleeding was 6.2 min. The mean duration for which condom catheter balloon was left in situ was 27.5 h. The average amount of blood loss was 1330 mL. Five patients (28%) had infective morbidity.

Conclusion: Condom catheter balloon is effective in controlling non-traumatic PPH in 94% cases. It is effective, simple to use, easily available and is a cheap modality to manage non-traumatic postpartum hemorrhage, especially in limited resource settings.