The use of blood in obstetrics and gynecology in the developing world.

Access to safe blood is critical in comprehensive emergency obstetric care and for reducing maternal mortality. Many countries have inadequate blood supplies, and this disproportionately affects women and children in need of life-saving blood transfusions. Although preventative measures aimed at reducing postpartum hemorrhage by treating underlying anemia and infectious diseases are critical, they are insufficient for obstetric hemorrhage. In the developing world, efforts should focus on alternative means of providing safe blood in cases of hemorrhage, with particular focus on rapid testing, donation of warm whole blood, and autologous blood transfusion.