Anti-Shock Garments Case Series in Egypt: Reducing Maternal Mortality from Hemorrhage

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Investigator: Suellen Miller, PhD, CNM, MHA
Sponsor: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Location(s): Egypt

Description

The non-pneumatic anti-shock garment (NASG) is a first-aid device that reverses hypovolaemic shock and decreases obstetric haemorrhage. It consists of articulated neoprene segments that close tightly with Velcro, shunting blood from the lower body to the core organs, elevating blood pressure and increasing preload and cardiac output. This chapter describes the controversial history of the predecessors of NASG, pneumatic anti-shock garments (PASGs), relates case studies of PASG for obstetric haemorrhage, compares pneumatic and non-pneumatic devices and posits why the NASG is more appropriate for low-resource settings.