An increase in rates of obstetric haemorrhage in a setting of high HIV seroprevalence.

Background: Obstetric haemorrhage (OH) is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide, although, indirectly, HIV is also a leading cause of maternal mortality in some settings with a high HIV seroprevalence.

Objective: To determine the possible association between increasing rates of OH and HIV or its treatment.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of women with OH at King Edward VIII Hospital, Durban, South Africa, over a 3-year period (2009 - 2011), during which the drug regimen for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission was evolving from single-dose nevirapine to antenatal zidovudine combined with intrapartum nevirapine (also referred to as dual therapy), and finally to a combination or highly active antiretroviral therapy (cART or HAART).