ABSTRACT
This study evaluates the epidemiological characteristics of patients attended at the Hospital Central Militar (Service of Obstetrics), who had diagnosis of abortion. The study was prospective and was conducted through one year. There were 316 cases of abortion (12.4%) among 2,550 obstetrical patients. The most frequent type of abortion was the incomplete one (58.6%). Only 38 (12.0%) women had an septic abortion. From an epidemiological point of view, patients with abortion were young (mean age 26.45 +/- 6.49 years); married (87.4%); with mean parity of 2.20 +/- 2.16; 26.3% of them had their first pregnancy and 78.2% had their first abortion. Abortion were more frequent between 9 and 12 weeks of pregnancy. After the 10th week, the D&C had more complications than before. The conclusion from this study is that in this group of population, abortion is not an important problem of health.
Subject(s)
Abortion, Spontaneous/epidemiology , Abortion, Incomplete/epidemiology , Abortion, Septic/epidemiology , Female , Gestational Age , Humans , Maternal Age , Mexico/epidemiology , Parity , Pregnancy , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
The efficacy of intravenous metronidazole for the prevention of postcesarean section infectious morbidity was studied in 100 healthy women, randomly given either the drug or a placebo. The metronidazole group received 1.0 g intravenously, immediately after cord clamping. Among the 50 patients who received metronidazole, endometritis developed in 7 (14%) as it did in 15 (30%) of the placebo group (P less than 0.01); wound infection was found in 1 (2%) and 4 (8%), respectively (P less than 0.01). If both infectious complications are compared together, the difference (16% versus 38%) is more significant (P less than 0.001). Metronidazole was well tolerated by the mother and with this type of administration regimen, the fetus is not exposed to the drug. It is concluded that metronidazole, used as here reported, is effective in reducing the frequency of postcesarean section endometritis and wound infection with the consequent clinical and economic impacts.
