Prompt treatment and monitoring of the mother is seen as vital.
Much of the blood loss from placental abruption is not revealed,
and traditional teaching advises that an abruption of sufficient
severity to produce fetal death merits a minimum transfusion of
two units of blood to the mother.
If there is evidence of coagulopathy (decreased fibrinogen levels,
decreased concentrations of platelets, and raised levels of fibrin
degradation products), expert haematological input may be required.
It has been suggested that high levels of fibrin degradation
products might inhibit uterine contractions and make vaginal delivery
difficult to achieve in some cases of severe abruption (Basu
1969) as well as contribute to atonic postpartum haemorrhage
(excessive blood loss after delivery because of failure of the uterus
to contract adequately).