A study of 3,022 routine manual explorations of the postpartum uterus

1.1. Manual exploration of the postpartum uterus has been made an integral part of the delivery routine at this hospital, requiring no extra preparation or anesthesia.2.2. Of the 3,022 postpartum uteri explored, placental tissue was removed from 65 (2.15 per cent) which were presumably empty.3.3. Only 9 cases (0.3 per cent) of delayed postpartum hemorrhage due to retained secundines occurred in these patients, and 5 of these might possibly be attributed to the inexperience of the operators.4.4. Eight patients (0.26 per cent) of the 3,022 whose uteri were explored required treatment for postpartum endometritis.5.5. The number of late postpartum hemorrhages at this hospital has decreased since the adoption of this procedure.