ABORTION COMPLICATIONS

Course overview

ROUGHLY ONE MILLION ABORTIONS ARE PERFORMED EACH YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES ALONE. THE TOTAL ABORTION-RELATED COMPLICATION RATE IS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 2%. MOST COMPLICATIONS ARE CONSIDERED MINOR SUCH AS PAIN, BLEEDING, INFECTION, AND POST-ANESTHESIA COMPLICATIONS. OTHERS ARE MAJOR, INCLUDING UTERINE ATONY AND SUBSEQUENT HEMORRHAGE, UTERINE PERFORATION, INJURIES TO ADJACENT ORGANS (BLADDER OR BOWELS), CERVICAL LACERATION, FAILED ABORTION, SEPTIC ABORTION, AND DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR COAGULATION. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS ABORTION COMPLICATIONS AND THEIR TREATMENTS AND EMPHASIZES THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM MEMBERS TO MINIMIZE THE OCCURRENCE OF ABORTION COMPLICATIONS AND OPTIMIZE MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT.