Society of Family Planning clinical recommendations: Pain control in surgical abortion part 2 - Moderate sedation, deep sedation, and general anesthesia.

Analgesic options for surgical abortion (also called procedural abortion) beyond local anesthesia and minimal sedation include moderate sedation, deep sedation and general anesthesia. These clinical recommendations review the effectiveness of various moderate sedation, deep sedation, and general anesthesia regimens for pain control during abortion; medication regimens used to induce analgesia and anesthesia; patient factors affecting anesthesia safety; preoperative and intraoperative protocols to reduce anesthesia risks; personnel qualifications for administration; recommended patient monitoring protocols; and general risks of anesthesia in the context of abortion care. The scope of these recommendations is based on limited available evidence and considerably relies on existing professional society guidelines and recommendations developed by content experts and reviewers. Further research to compare the efficacy and safety of different regimens is needed.

Safety of Deep Sedation Without Intubation for Second-Trimester Dilation and Evacuation.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence of pulmonary aspiration and other anesthesia-related adverse events in women undergoing dilation and evacuation (D&E) under intravenous deep sedation without tracheal intubation in an outpatient setting. METHODS: We reviewed all D&Es done under anesthesiologist-administered intravenous deep sedation without tracheal intubation between February 2009 and April 2013. The study's primary outcome was pulmonary aspiration; secondary outcomes included other anesthesia-related complications. We calculated the incidence of anesthesia-related adverse events as well as a 95% CI around the point estimate. RESULTS: During the 51-month study period, 4,481 second-trimester abortions were completed. Of these, 2,523 (56%) were done under deep sedation without tracheal intubation, 652 (26%) between 14 and 19 6/7 weeks of gestation, and 1,871 (74%) between 20 and 24 weeks of gestation. Seven cases of anesthesia-related complications were identified: two cases of pulmonary aspiration (0.08%, 95% CI 0.01-0.29%), four cases of upper airway obstruction (0.016%, 95% CI 0.04-0.41%), and one case of lingual nerve injury (0.04%, 95% CI 0.001-0.22%). CONCLUSION: Deep sedation without tracheal intubation for women undergoing D&E has a low incidence of anesthesia-related complications.