[Consumption coagulopathies and severe postpartum hemorrhage].

15 patients were referred to the Intensive Care Unit immediately after delivery for severe post-partum haemorrhage. In 7 cases complications followed retroplacental haemotoma formation and in the other 8 cases they were due to secondary haemorrhages from the placental site and/or from tears of the cervix or vagina. It is a clinical picture that is associated with a state of shock, with continuing massive bleeding associated with failure of the blood to clot and which persists and becomes worse with the transfusion of stored blood and of the coagulation factors.