This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Complications

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

  • Continuing pregnancy:
    • seen in 0.2% performed at a gestation of 12 weeks or less
    • high risk of failure after a procedure observed in
      • multiparous women
      • six weeks’ gestation or less
      • inexperienced surgeons performing abortions
      • women with uterine abnormalities
    • in early medical abortion with mifepristone-misoprostol regimens, a continuing pregnancy rate of 0.5%-0.7% has been reported
    • more common with the use of oral or lower doses of misoprostol
    • repeated dose of misoprostol is effective in less than 40% of cases, hence vacuum aspiration is recommended
  • Incomplete abortion:
    • results in prolonged bleeding and uterine cramping
    • vacuum aspiration or misoprostol can be used
    • frequency of reaspiration after first trimester surgical abortion is 0.3-2% while in second trimester it is 0.4–3%
  • Haemorrhage that often requires transfusion:
    • after early medical abortion blood transfusion is necessary in 0.1% while in later medical abortions the figure slightly rises to 0.7%
  • Cervical damage:
    • cervical incompetence and subsequent middle trimester abortion
  • Uterine trauma, which occurs in 0.1–0.4% of surgical abortions.
  • Failed operation.
  • Sepsis:
    • antibiotic prophylaxis is beneficial in surgical abortion but its use in medical abortion is less clear (1)
  • Sensitization of a Rh-negative woman.
  • Acute renal failure, possibly secondary to septic shock and hypovolaemia.

Reference:

  1. Lohr PA et al. Abortion.  BMJ 2014;348:f7553

Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.