Download – Retained Placenta – Anaesthetic Considerations

The third stage of labour is delivery of the placenta. This is often overlooked because of excitement following the birth of the baby. The retroplacental myometrium must contract to allow the placenta to shear away from its bed and be expelled. Signs of separation are listed in the table below. Retained placenta complicates 2% of deliveries world-wide and is a significant cause of maternal mortality and morbidity. In the developing world the associated mortality approaches 10%. If retention does occur, prompt appropriate treatment can prove life saving.

Amelia Banks and David M Levy