2021, Volume 14, Issue 4, pp 511 – 517

Postpartum Uterine Ultrasonographic Scale: a novel method to standardize the assessment of uterine postpartum involution

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Authors and Affiliations

* Corresponding Author: Roxana Covali, MD, PhD, Department of Radiology, Elena Doamna Obstetrics and Gynecology University Hospital, 49, Elena Doamna Street, 700398 Iasi, Romania. Phone: +40 232 210 390/251; Fax: 0040 232 210 396; E-mail: rcovali@yahoo.com

Abstract

Postpartum hemorrhage is a leading cause of maternal mortality. Various methods can be used to evaluate the postpartum uterine cavity volume. This work aims to introduce a simple method for uterine postpartum cavity volume evaluation, called Postpartum Uterine Ultrasonographic Scale (PUUS), which could be used routinely. In this prospective study, 131 consecutive Caucasian patients were evaluated by using the PUUS method. The mean age was 27.72 years (ranging from 15 to 42). Patients were examined in the same time intervals: within the first 24-48 hours after delivery in case of vaginal delivery, and within the first 48-72 hours, in case of cesarean delivery. Patients with PUUS grades 2, 3, or 4 were reexamined daily until the PUUS grade declined to 1 or 0. The PUUS method evaluated the length of the endometrium of the uterine cavity occupied by blood or debris, from grade 0 (no blood) to grade 4 (over three-quarters of the endometrial length occupied by blood/debris). The PUUS grade of uterine involution varied with the day of examination, gestation, and parity. In this article, a novel method of evaluating uterine postpartum involution titled PUUS is introduced. This method standardized uterine cavity involution in a numerical fashion. We hope that the PUUS scale could further be used to decrease the morbidity and mortality of women due to postpartum hemorrhage.

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About this article

PMC ID: 8485378
PubMed ID: 34621375
DOI: 10.25122/jml-2020-0107

Article Publishing Date (print): Jul-Aug 2021
Available Online: 

Journal information

ISSN Printing: 1844-122X
ISSN Online: 1844-3117
Journal Title: Journal of Medicine and Life

Copyright License: Open Access

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.


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