Women with septic abortion: who, how and why? A prospective study from tertiary care hospital in India.

A prospective descriptive interview based hospital study was carried on 47 women admitted with septic abortion to evaluate their psychosocial, demographic and clinical profile These women were predominantly parous (75%), hindus (60%), between 20-30 years of age (60%) and mostly married (91.4%) house wives (63.8%). More than 90% already had one or more male child. The contraceptive use was dismally low (23.4%). Their knowledge about legalisation, place and persons authorized to conduct abortions was very less, however large majority (87%) underwent abortions within 3 months of pregnancy. Large family, poverty and spacing were the main reasons cited for abortions. Abdominal pain, fever, genital bleeding, diarhoea and abdominal distension were presenting clinical features in order of frequency. Advanced sepsis and associated medical and surgical complications were present in more than half the patients and 6% succumbed to these problems. The current experience was an eye opener for most of them and changed their future attitude. Hence education, economic prosperity, easy access to reproductive health facilities and institutional management of sepsis is the key to make abortions safe.

Socio-democratic characteristics of women presenting with abortion--a hospital based study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine socio-demographic characteristics and clinical features of women presenting with abortion, and to define factors associated with complications of abortion. DESIGN: A prospective descriptive study. SETTING: Women in Gynaecology casualty department at Harare Central Hospital, Harare, Zimbabwe. PATIENTS: 307 women with features of complete or incomplete abortion were interviewed during February to June 1991. They were randomly selected and represented 53pc of all women with the problem. RESULTS: Three quarters of the women were married and lived with their spouses. In 23.1pc this was a first pregnancy. Over a quarter of the women who were on the pill claimed to have fallen pregnant whilst on the pill, mainly because of poor compliance. One hundred and twenty-two were not on the pill but in only 16pc it was intended to fall pregnant. In nearly 30pc the pregnancy was not wanted but only 2.3pc admitted to having induced the abortion. Sepsis was present in 25.6pc and they tended to be younger, not presently married and have an unplanned pregnancy. Although there was some evidence of trauma in 6.2pc, it was not possible from the study to assess the percentage of abortion likely to have been induced. CONCLUSION: Contraceptive usage is generally low and cultural and traditional factors may play a role, but expanded sex education programmes and continued contraceptive counselling need reinforcing before attempts are made to review the legal issues regarding termination.

Tratamiento del aborto sético y la amnionitis con sulbactam/ampicilina: experiencia en el instituto Materno Infantil de Bogotá

Para confirmar la eficacia y seguridad de sulbactam/ampicilina, se lleva a cabo una evaluación abierta, comparativa, en 26 pacientes que acudieron al servicio de Sépticas del I.M.I. por aborto séptico o amnionitis. Se administró el tratamiento antibiótico inicialmente por vía parenteral, generalmente intravenosa, continúandose por vía oral. Las dosis utilizadas variaron, dependiendo de la severidad y la duración de la infección, administrándose un promedio de 6 gramos diarios enlos primeros dos días, dosis que se redujo por el resto del tratamiento. Los resultados clínicos fueron excelentes en el 85 por ciento(22 pacientes). Una sola paciente tuvo un efecto secundario leve. Se concluye que sulbactam/ampicilina es una excelente alternativa en el manejo de las infecciones de origen obstétrico