New films about detecting shock and high blood pressure in pregnancy

Among the most common causes of maternal mortality, severe bleeding, infections and pregnancy-associated high blood pressure account for over half of all maternal deaths worldwide. Medical Aid Films has produced two new films in English, Haitian Creole and Kannada to demonstrate the use of the CRADLE Vital Signs Alert (VSA) – a novel device that detects heart rate and blood pressure and calculates shock index – the most consistent predictor of maternal morbidity or death in low-resource settings.

Developed by Kings College London to meet the World Health Organisation criteria for use in a low-resource setting, the CRADLE VSA is a robust, low cost, portable device that uses a simple traffic light system to show when abnormalities in vital signs are detected. It can be easily recharged using a standard micro USB, ubiquitous with the explosion of mobile phone use worldwide.

Our films demonstrate how to use this device and how to interpret the results. Following a three-month pilot in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and India, they are being used as part of the CRADLE 3 trial which aims to determine whether introducing the CRADLE VSA into maternity care reduces rates of maternal mortality and severe pregnancy complications in 10 low-income countries.

Follow the links below to watch or download the films for free

For community health workers (English)
For skilled health workers (English)
For community health workers (Haitian Creole)
For skilled health workers (Haitian Creole)
For community health workers (Kannada)
For skilled health workers (Kannada)

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