WTEN/News10 featured St. Peter’s Hospital in a recent report on a new life-saving device being used to treat postpartum hemorrhaging, one of the leading causes of maternal death.
The JADA device works by applying pressure to a woman’s uterus to stop bleeding.
Dr. Noel Varghese of St. Peter’s OB/GYN, explained how the device works and was joined by one of his patients, Megan Hasick.
From the story:
Megan Hasick clearly recalls the morning of her son’s delivery at St. Peters Hospital. “Everything was going smoothly. Delivery went smoothly.”
But as is the case for many parents, the moments after welcoming a new baby into the world can feel like a blur. “I had him, holding him in recovery. Then was about to be removed to my post-partum room and that’s when I began hemorrhaging,” Hasick remembered.
What started as a smooth delivery turned concerning on the morning of April 10, soon after welcoming her second baby.
“I think I realized, okay, this was pretty serious. As the hours went on and on, I wasn’t with Kade. I wasn’t with my husband. So, I kind of knew, okay, this is serious,” she said.
Megan lost about four liters of blood that morning. A woman typically has about 7 liters in her body during pregnancy, according to Dr. Varghese, who was in the delivery room that morning.
“The uterus is just a muscle. And it’s good for squeezing babies out. And unfortunately, the muscle fatigues. It doesn’t always squeeze effectively after the woman has delivered her baby,” he explained.
“I do remember he called for the JADA device, very soon after the code blue was called,” Hasick said.
“Once it’s inserted, they blow it up like a balloon, and it applies pressure to your uterus to stop bleeding,” Hasick added.
Dr. Varghese said, “It creates a suction within the uterine wall, this butts against the cervix and creates a seal.”
Click here to watch WTEN’s full report.
