We'd like your feedback
Your feedback is important to us. It will help us improve the quality of the study information on this site. Please answer both questions.
Contact the study team using the details below to take part. If there are no contact details below please ask your doctor in the first instance.
Dr
Sarah
Bell
OBSUK@cardiff.ac.uk
More information about this study, what is involved and how to take part can be found on the study website.
Obstetric bleeding
This information is provided directly by researchers, and we recognise that it isn't always easy to understand. We are working with researchers to improve the accessibility of this information. In some summaries, you may come across links to external websites. These websites will have more information to help you better understand the study.
Excess bleeding is the most common complication of childbirth. Every year about 50,000 women in the UK lose 1L (2 pints) of blood or more. Many women develop post-traumatic stress disorder, need blood transfusion or admission to intensive care.
There is a lack of knowledge about how best to treat the excess bleeding.
A care bundle for managing bleeding after birth was developed in Wales and rolled out as a quality improvement programme called the ‘Obstetric Bleeding Strategy’ (OBS). The care bundle has four parts: 1) assessment of each woman’s bleeding risk, 2) accurate measurement of blood loss at all births, 3) a consistent approach to escalation of care to more senior clinicians and 4) bedside tests to identify and treat abnormal blood clotting.
This contrasts with current UK guidelines which recommend measuring blood loss only after excess bleeding is identified. This national study follows on from our pilot study in which we found that the Obstetric Bleeding Strategy care bundle could be successfully adopted by maternity units. The results from this pilot were encouraging, but since this was a small study with limited data, we do not know whether the improvements seen were due to the change in care, or whether the care bundle is value for money. To find this out, this study will compare clinical outcomes, psychological wellbeing and cost of care for women in maternity units that use the care bundle with women receiving standard care.
Start dates may differ between countries and research sites. The research team are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.
The recruitment start and end dates are as follows:
2024 Interim results article in https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39334250/ (added 30/09/2024)
You can take part if:
You may not be able to take part if:
Site exclusion criteria:1. Maternity units that have adopted the entire OBS UK obstetric haemorrhage care bundle 2. Maternity units that use viscoelastic point-of-care tests of haemostasis on the consultant-led delivery suite or in obstetric theatres3. If a Trust or Health Board has more than one maternity unit then only one can join the study
For the psychology sub-study exclusion criteria are (requiring individual consent): 1. Age <16 years, prisoners and individuals who lack capacity2. Women and birth partners who have had experienced a stillbirth or neonatal death will be excluded from the psychology study component
For the cost-effectiveness sub-study exclusion criteria are (requiring individual consent):1. Age <16 years, prisoners and individuals who lack capacity
For the process evaluation exclusion criteria are (interviews require individual consent, observation/ethnography study does not require individual consent):1. Age <16 years, prisoners and individuals who lack capacity
Below are the locations for where you can take part in the trial. Please note that not all sites may be open.
This information has not yet been provided by the study team. You'll have an opportunity to discuss any risks and benefits that may be associated with this study prior to consenting to taking part.
Dr
Sarah
Bell
OBSUK@cardiff.ac.uk
More information about this study, what is involved and how to take part can be found on the study website.
The study is sponsored by Cardiff University and funded by NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Co-ordinating Centre (NETSCC).
Your feedback is important to us. It will help us improve the quality of the study information on this site. Please answer both questions.
Or CPMS: 57855
You can print or share the study information with your GP/healthcare provider or contact the research team directly.
