The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference in the amount of postpartum bleeding between two methods of uterine massage and no uterine massage. The experimental method with parallel groups technique and a single variable was used. The criterion used in determining the amount of bleeding was the volume of red cells lost. The study was conducted at St. Bernardine's Hospital using three experimental groups selected from one hundred and nineteen deliveries between January 25 and March 2, 1963. Group A was composed of sixteen patients whose uterus' were externally held for one hour except when the blood pressure was taken. The uterus was gently massaged every fifteen minutes for twenty-two patients in Group B. Group C, the control group, was composed of nineteen patients whose uterus was not massaged. The nurses collected and recorded all data for the study on record sheets but not the measurement data of blood loss which was calculated by the researcher. The analysis of the characteristics of the group showed these groups comparable for race and oxytoxics given in the delivery room but not as comparable in age, gravida, anesthesia, type of delivery, length of labor, and weight of infant. The "t" test was used in determining the significance of the difference between two methods of uterine massage and no uterine massage. The "t" value did not show a high percentage of chance explaining the difference between the three groups and neither did it show a high percentage of the controlled factor explaining the difference of the groups. Therefore, it was concluded that the external holding of the uterus or intermittent massage of the uterus during the first hour and leaving the delivery room did not decrease the amount of postpartum bleeding significantly over no uterine massage for the normal obstetric patients in this study. The conclusion may be attributed to the small sample or other non-controllable factors. While it was not the purpose of this study to compare two methods for the measurement of blood loss, a correlation test of comparison was done. The red cell mass loss in the measurement of blood loss found to be of equal value to the total volume of blood loss for the measurement of bleeding in the immediate postpartum period. Based on the finding of this study it was recommended that another study be done with about 1,600 patients in each group using the total measured volume of blood loss in an attempt to determine if there is or is not a significant difference between two methods of uterine massage and no uterine massage for the formal and complicated obstetrical patient.
Nursing, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Postnatal Care -- methods; Postpartum Hemorrhage -- prevention & control
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