Critical Bytes: Obstetric Emergencies

Prompt recognition of obstetric emergencies is crucial

Obstetric emergencies pose significant risks to maternal and fetal health requiring prompt recognition and management to prevent severe outcomes. Understanding physiological changes of pregnancy helps us recognise clinical emergencies including post partum haemorrhage and HELLP syndrome.

As one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide with reported delays in recognition due to under-estimation of blood loss PPH is a clinical emergency you may need to manage, whether you work in obstetrics, anaesthetics, recovery, critical care, pre-hospital or rural and remote settings.  Similarly, although rare, HELLP syndrome, characterised by haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count and often associated with severe pre-eclampsia, requires prompt recognition, accurate diagnosis and immediate management to prevent severe complications.

This interactive webinar follows clinical case studies to discuss these life threatening emergencies with interactive polls to help you apply your learning to practise. 

What is covered in the webinar

• The pathophysiology and risk factors associated with postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) and HELLP syndrome.
• Early signs and symptoms of PPH and HELLP syndrome to facilitate prompt recognition and intervention.
• Evidence-based management strategies for effectively stabilising and managing patients with PPH and HELLP syndrome in the ICU and ED settings.
• Skills in performing critical assessments, including hemodynamic monitoring and laboratory tests, to guide appropriate interventions.
• Multidisciplinary approaches and communication strategies for optimal patient outcomes in obstetric emergencies

What our participants said:

Excellent presentation and beneficial to rural and remote nurses who are not midwives

Very beneficial to all healthcare workers, especially those who will be managing expectant mothers.

Informative, relevant to periop. So applicable to our area of practice.

I enjoyed the case studies, poll questions and subsequent explanations. This session provided a great overview of the management strategies for PPH and HELLP.