Abstract: Objective To analyze the pathological characteristics and the death reasons due to postpartum hemorrhage, and to help to deal with the obstetrical medical tangles. Methods Thirty-two cases of death caused by postpartum hemorrhage encountered in our department since 1995 had been collected and ret- rospectively analyzed. Results Death caused by postpartum hemorrhage could be divided into single factor and multi-factor, with 81.25% due to single factor, 12.50% multi-factor, and 6.25% unknown reason. The single factors included uterine atony, retained placenta, placenta increta, laceration of the lower genital tract, and coagulation defects. The multi-factor included a combination of two or more factors mentioned above. Conclusion The causes of death due to postpartum hemorrhage should be analyzed according to the clinical characteristics of the postpartum hemorrhage and the autopsy examination.

Key words: forensic pathology, postpartum hemorrhage, shock, hemorrhagic