Retention of the Placenta

This is a review cTf cases treated here for retention of the placenta during the last 9 years. During this period 18,591 women were confined, of whom 64 had retained placenta due to uterine inertia, contraction ring, or adhesions of the placenta or membranes. Fifty patients were cured, 4 were discharged otherwise and 10 died, giving a mortality of 15.62 per cent (see table I). The third stage of labour is left to nature. At } the end of half an hour, if the placenta has not been expelled naturally, an effort is made to express it by Crede's method. If it cannot be expresed and if there is no bleeding, further interference with the uterus is stopped and 400 c.cni. of sterile normal saline solution is injected into the umbilical vein. Out of 37 cases sq treated, in 16 the placenta was expelled spontaneously,