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Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2017 Mar 29;213:1-3.

Follow-up after early medical abortion: Comparing clinical assessment with self-assessment in a rural hospital in northern Norway

Mählck CG and Bäckström T

Abstract

Objectives: A follow-up study was performed on women who had requested medical abortions in a rural hospital in northern Norway to compare clinical assessment with self-assessment of early medical abortion in terms of safety.

Study design: During the three-year study period, 392 women requested termination of pregnancy. After excluding those who changed their mind, those who had a spontaneous miscarriage, those who were referred to a central hospital for a two-stage abortion, and those who had the abortion performed surgically, 242 cases remained, and all the medical files were reviewed. Five cases (2%) were lost to follow-up, so the study group consists of 237 cases.

Results: Out of the 237 cases, in which a medical abortion was performed, 106 were performed at home with a self-assessment (44.7%), and 131 (55.3%) were performed at the department of Gynecology. The percentage of cases with self-assessment did not noticeably change during the three-year study period. The registered complications were infection, incomplete abortion requiring a surgical procedure and hospitalization due to severe pain. No significant difference in registered complications was found between medical abortions with self-assessment (n=9, 8.5% out of 106 cases) and medical abortions at the gynecological out-patient department (n=6, 4.6% out of 131 cases).

Conclusions: According to this investigation, it is equally safe to perform a medical abortion at home with a self-assessment as it is to have a medical abortion at an outpatient clinic. These results could be useful for health care provision in rural areas where access to hospitals is impeded by logistical difficulties.

Comment: This study nicely shows that a woman does not have to stay at a clinic for a medical abortion. Success rates and complications were the same in women who stayed in a facility and in women who went home to perform the procedure there. (HMV)