Preventing death following unsafe abortion: a case series from urban UgandaAJOG Global Reports at a Glance

AJOG Global Reports

Annettee Nakimuli, MD, PhD¹  Josephat Byamugisha, PhD¹  Imelda Namagembe, MD¹  Catherine Aiken, MB BChir, PhD²  Ashley Moffett, MB BChir, PhD³  Abigail Aiken, MB BChir, PhD⁴ 

[1] Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Makerere University and Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda (Drs Namagembe, Nakimuli, and Byamugisha);Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Cambridge, The Rosie Hospital and National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom (Dr C Aiken);Department of Pathology and Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom (Dr Moffett);Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Policy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX (Dr A Aiken);

关键词: maternal death;    postabortion care;    sepsis;    unsafe abortion;    uterine perforation;   

DOI  :  

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

BACKGROUND: Maternal deaths from unsafe abortion continue to occur globally, with particularly high rates in Sub-Saharan Africa where most abortions are classified as unsafe. Maternal death reviews are an effective part of cohesive strategies to prevent future deaths while abortion remains illegal. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to conduct maternal death reviews for all deaths occurring following unsafe abortion during the study period, to assess preventability, and to synthesize key learning points that may help to prevent future maternal deaths following unsafe abortions. STUDY DESIGN: Full case reviews of all maternal deaths (350 cases from Jan 2016 to Dec 2018) at the study center (a national referral hospital in urban Uganda) were conducted by specially trained multidisciplinary panels of obstetricians and midwives. We extracted the reviews of women who died following unsafe abortions (13 [2.6%]) for further analysis. RESULTS: Most maternal deaths owing to unsafe abortion were found to be preventable. The key recommendations that emerged from the reviews were (1) that clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for delayed presentation and rapid decompensation in cases where unsafe abortion has occurred, (2) that a low threshold for early intravenous antibiotic therapy should be applied, and (3) that any admission with complications following an unsafe abortion merits review by an experienced clinician as soon as possible. CONCLUSION: Postabortion care is part of essential emergency medical care and should be provided with high standards, especially in areas where there is limited or no legal access to abortion care. Implementing the recommended learning points is likely to be feasible even in low-resource obstetrical settings and, given the high rates of preventability found in maternal deaths owing to unsafe abortion, is likely to be effective.

【 授权许可】

Unknown