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BMC Health Services Research Dec 2022In Malawi, abortion is only legal to save a pregnant woman's life. Treatment for complications after unsafe abortions has a massive impact on the already impoverished...
BACKGROUND
In Malawi, abortion is only legal to save a pregnant woman's life. Treatment for complications after unsafe abortions has a massive impact on the already impoverished health care system. Even though manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) and misoprostol are the recommended treatment options for incomplete abortion in the first trimester, surgical management using sharp curettage is still one of the primary treatment methods in Malawi. Misoprostol and MVA are safer and cheaper, whilst sharp curettage has more risk of complications such as perforation and bleeding and requires general anesthesia and a clinician. Currently, efforts are being made to increase the use of misoprostol in the treatment of incomplete abortions in Malawi. To achieve successful implementation of misoprostol, health care providers' perceptions on this matter are crucial.
METHODS
A qualitative approach was used to explore health care providers' perceptions of misoprostol for the treatment of incomplete abortion using semi-structured in-depth interviews. Ten health care providers were interviewed at one urban public hospital. Each interview lasted 45 min on average. Health care providers of different cadres were interviewed in March and April 2021, nine months after taking part in a training intervention on the use of misoprostol. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using 'Systematic Text Condensation'.
RESULTS
The health care providers reported many advantages with the increased use of misoprostol, such as reduced workload, less hospitalization, fewer infections, and task-shifting. Availability of the drug and benefits for the patients were also highlighted as important. However, some challenges were revealed, such as deciding who was eligible for the drug and treatment failure. For these reasons, some health care providers still choose surgical treatment as their primary method.
CONCLUSION
Findings in this study support the recommendation of increased use of misoprostol as a treatment for incomplete abortion in Malawi, as the health care providers interviewed see many advantages with the drug. To scale up its use, proper training and supervision are essential. A sustainable and predictable supply is needed to change clinical practice. Unsafe abortion is a major contributor to maternal mortality worldwide. Unsafe abortion is the termination of an unintended pregnancy by a person without the required skills or equipment, which might lead to serious complications. In Malawi, post-abortion complications are common, and the maternal mortality ratio is among the highest in the world. Retained products of conception, referred to as an incomplete abortion, are common after spontaneous miscarriages and unsafe induced abortions. There are several ways to treat incomplete abortion, and the drug misoprostol has been successful in the treatment of incomplete abortion in other low-income countries. This study explored perceptions among health care providers using misoprostol to treat incomplete abortions and whether the drug can be fully embraced by Malawian health care professionals. Health personnel at a Malawian hospital were interviewed individually regarding the use of the drug for treating incomplete abortions. This study revealed that health care providers interviewed are satisfied with the increased use of misoprostol. They highlighted several benefits, such as reduced workload and that it enabled task-shifting so that various hospital cadres could now treat patients with incomplete abortions. The health care workers also observed benefits for women treated with the drug compared to other treatments. The challenges mentioned were finding out who was eligible for the drug and drug failure. This study supports scaling up the use of misoprostol in the treatment of incomplete abortions in Malawi; the Ministry of Health and policymakers should support future interventions to increase its use.
Topics: Pregnancy; Humans; Female; Abortion, Incomplete; Misoprostol; Abortion, Spontaneous; Malawi; Abortion, Induced; Health Personnel; Hospitals, Public
PubMed: 36461125
DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-08878-3 -
Fertility and Sterility Jan 2023To describe a simple adjunct treatment option, trophoblastic microcirculation occlusion (TMO), which could change subsequent high-risk electric vacuum aspiration in...
OBJECTIVE
To describe a simple adjunct treatment option, trophoblastic microcirculation occlusion (TMO), which could change subsequent high-risk electric vacuum aspiration in patients with an endogenous cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) into a routine conventional surgical procedure. Electric vacuum aspiration for the treatment of CSP may be associated with several significant complications, including hemorrhage and tissue remnants. Consequently, a second intervention, such as uterine artery embolization, resectoscopy, or methotrexate, may be required, thus complicating the surgical treatment of CSP.
DESIGN
We demonstrate the principle and detailed technique of TMO treatment using animations, video clips, and slides. The study was approved by the institutional review board of Hangzhou Women's Hospital.
SETTING
Tertiary maternity hospital.
PATIENT(S)
The video shows a 30-year-old woman with a 5-week endogenous CSP. The procedural steps were repeated in another 6 patients suffering from endogenous CSP (Table 1). Written informed consent was obtained from each patient.
INTERVENTION(S)
In patients with a CSP, the syncytiotrophoblastic cells erode the helicine arteries in the inner uterine myometrium. The cytotrophoblastic cells extend as villi tissue into the syncytiotrophoblast. Maternal blood enters the intervillous space between the cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast. The syncytiotrophoblast, cytotrophoblast, and intervillous space constitute the trophoblastic microcirculation, which subsequently becomes the main blood supply to the gestational sac (Fig. 1). During TMO treatment, the trophoblastic microcirculation is identified by contrast-enhanced ultrasound with the cubital vein injected with sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles (Bracco, Switzerland). A 21-gauge needle (200 mm long) was punctured vaginally into the uterine myometrium surrounding the syncytiotrophoblast at 3 different points, and a total of 8 mL sclerosant was injected directly to seal the trophoblastic microcirculation. Complete compression of the helicine arteries for trophoblastic blood supply is the key to TMO treatment (Fig. 2, see video interpretation for detailed information). A repeat contrast-enhanced ultrasound was performed after injection to confirm a significant reduction of blood flow in the trophoblast. An electric vacuum aspiration was performed 24 hours after TMO treatment to remove the products of conception completely. Surgical safety was enhanced by deep sedation and concurrent transabdominal ultrasound guidance. The levels of β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) were measured weekly until a nonpregnant level was achieved. A follow-up ultrasound then was performed to confirm that the treatment was complete.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)
The clinical value and feasibility of TMO treatment as an adjunct before high-risk electric vacuum aspiration for the management of endogenous CSP.
RESULT(S)
The TMO treatment was performed successfully in all 7 patients; the clinical outcomes are presented in Table 2. The TMO treatment significantly reduced the risk of hemorrhage during electric vacuum aspiration. No complications were detected perioperatively. Patients were discharged on day 1 postoperatively. Follow-up ultrasound, performed when the levels of β-hCG had fallen to normal, failed to identify any remnants of the uterine corpus. One patient achieved an intrauterine pregnancy 7 months postoperatively and gave birth to a live baby at 39 weeks of gestation via repeat cesarean section. No cesarean scar dehiscence was observed.
CONCLUSION(S)
Surgical abortion of an endogenous CSP, with a high risk of intraoperative hemorrhage, can be performed with minimal blood loss in a single electric vacuum aspiration when assisted by TMO treatment. This technique provides good results in terms of bleeding reduction that are comparable to those in conventional patients. The TMO treatment can be accomplished via ultrasound-guided needle puncture, a technique that is available widely in the practice of reproductive medicine with a reduced need for consumable resources. The use of a simple adjunct treatment option, TMO, expands the indications of electric vacuum aspiration. This sequential treatment allows for completion of clinical management without the need for uterine artery embolization, resectoscopy, or methotrexate, thus simplifying the originally complicated form of surgical treatment for CSP.
Topics: Pregnancy; Humans; Female; Adult; Trophoblasts; Methotrexate; Cesarean Section; Cicatrix; Vacuum Curettage; Microcirculation; Pregnancy, Ectopic; Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; Treatment Outcome; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 36456211
DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2022.10.009 -
Texas Heart Institute Journal Nov 2022
Topics: Humans; Female; Mustard Plant; Vacuum Curettage
PubMed: 36448943
DOI: 10.14503/THIJ-20-7506 -
International Journal of Hyperthermia :... 2022To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) combined with ultrasound-guided suction curettage in patients with type...
Analysis of the type of cesarean scar pregnancy impacted on the effectiveness and safety of high intensity focused ultrasound combined with ultrasound-guided suction curettage treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) combined with ultrasound-guided suction curettage in patients with type I/II/III cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP).
METHODS
A total of 153 patients with CSP were enrolled and classified according to the type of CSP. All of them were treated by HIFU combined with ultrasound-guided suction curettage. When active uterine bleeding was observed after curettage, a Foley balloon was used for hemostasis by compression. Baseline characteristics, technical parameters of HIFU, intraoperative blood loss in suction curettage, the time for serum β-HCG to return to normal levels, reproductive outcomes, and adverse effects were recorded and analyzed.
RESULTS
152 patients completed one session of HIFU combined with suction curettage except one patient transferred to surgery. Total energy used for ablation and the time for serum β-HCG return to normal level in type II and III were significantly higher than type I ( < .05). The treatment time and sonication time of HIFU in type III were significantly longer than type I ( < .05). Vaginal bleeding after curettage and the rate of using Foley catheter balloon in type III was larger than type I and II.
CONCLUSIONS
HIFU combined with ultrasound-guided suction curettage is a safe and effective treatment option for patients with type I/II/III CSP and desire for fertility. Patients with type III CSP were more dependent on Foley catheter balloon compression therapy than the other two types after HIFU combined with curettage.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Vacuum Curettage; Cicatrix; Cesarean Section; Pregnancy, Ectopic; Ultrasonography, Interventional
PubMed: 36414236
DOI: 10.1080/02656736.2022.2107715 -
Health Services Insights 2022Data on abortion procedures costs are scarce in low- and middle-income countries. In Mexico, the only known study was conducted more than a decade ago, with data from...
BACKGROUND
Data on abortion procedures costs are scarce in low- and middle-income countries. In Mexico, the only known study was conducted more than a decade ago, with data from years before the abortion legislation. This study estimated the costs, from the health system's perspective, of surgical and medical abortion methods commonly used by women who undergo first-trimester abortion in Mexico.
METHODS
Data were collected on staff time, salaries, medications, consumables, equipment, imaging, and lab studies, at 5 public general hospitals. A bottom-up micro-costing approach was used.
RESULTS
Surgical abortion costs were US$201 for manual vacuum aspiration and US$298 for sharp curettage. The cost of medical abortion with misoprostol was US$85. The use of cervical ripening increases the costs by up to 18%. Staff comprised up to 72% of total costs in surgical abortions. Hospitalization was the area where most of the spending occurred, due to the staff and post-surgical surveillance required.
CONCLUSIONS
Our estimates reflect the costs of "real-life" implementation and highlight the impact on costs of the overuse of resources not routinely recommended by clinical guidelines, such as cervical ripening for surgical abortion. This information will help decision-makers to generate policies that contribute to more efficient use of resources.
PubMed: 36171763
DOI: 10.1177/11786329221126347 -
International Journal of Hyperthermia :... 2022To evaluate the effectiveness of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) combined with hysteroscopy-guided suction curettage (HGSC) in treating cervical pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) combined with hysteroscopy-guided suction curettage (HGSC) in treating cervical pregnancy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This is a retrospective study. Seven patients with cervical pregnancy who visited the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January 2015 to December 2020 were enrolled in the current study. All seven patients were treated with HIFU under conscious sedation. All of them underwent HGSC at an average of 2 ± 1 days (range: 1-3 days) after HIFU. Before the therapy, the patient's clinical characteristics were collected, including duration of amenorrhea, gravidity and parity, the patient history of cesarean section and miscarriage, and the size of the gestational sac. The levels of β-hCG and hemoglobin in serum were also reviewed. To assess the clinical outcomes of this combined treatment, the suction time of HGSC, bleeding volume, the clearance time of β-hCG, and the time with returning of menstruation were evaluated.
RESULTS
All seven patients (average age: 31 ± 6 years) have experienced amenorrhea (duration range, 48 ± 8 days) before the treatment of HIFU. The average number of pregnancies was four, and the number of deliveries was one. Previous medical history showed six patients had cesarean sections, and five patients have been miscarriages. After HIFU treatment, the fetal heartbeats were stopped in all seven patients based on the diagnosis by doppler ultrasound. The bleeding of gestational tissue decreased significantly. All patients had only mild lower abdominal pain, no fever, intestinal damage, or other complications were reported. The average operation time of operative suction curettage was 21 ± 9 min (range: 9-32 min), and the median bleeding volume was 10 ± 8 mL (range: 2-20 mL). Follow-up observations showed that the menstruations were returned in patients at an average of 38 ± 9 days (range: 30-50 days) after the treatment. The β-hCG decreased from 41773 ± 32242 mIU/mL to 13101 ± 8454 mIU/mL in 29 ± 10 days after surgery.
CONCLUSION
Based on these results with small subjects, we concluded that HIFU combined with HGSC might be an effective and safe treatment for patients with cervical pregnancy.
Topics: Adult; Amenorrhea; Cesarean Section; Female; Humans; Hysteroscopy; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Ectopic; Retrospective Studies; Vacuum Curettage
PubMed: 36120736
DOI: 10.1080/02656736.2022.2123565 -
The Journal of Obstetrics and... Nov 2022Endometrial biopsy is generally performed with a metal uterine curette sonde; however, recently, many types of vacuum aspirators are available, including the manual...
AIM
Endometrial biopsy is generally performed with a metal uterine curette sonde; however, recently, many types of vacuum aspirators are available, including the manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) system. We used the women's MVA system for endometrial sampling and evaluated its effectiveness in determining the presence of endometrial malignancy.
METHODS
Forty-seven samples were examined using the following procedures after measuring endometrial thickness by transvaginal ultrasonography: fractional curettage biopsy (Bx; 20 samples), total curettage under general anesthesia (T/C; 13 samples), and MVA (14 samples). The quality of the endometrial samples was classified into four types: 1-4, where 1 denoted poor and 4, good quality.
RESULTS
The mean score of the MVA group was significantly higher than that of the partial curettage biopsy group (p = 0.0065). No differences were observed between the MVA and total curettage groups (p = 1.00). When patients were divided into two groups according to endometrial thickness (<10 mm or ≥10 mm) and analyzed, both the MVA and T/C groups did not show a significant difference in their scores compared to the Bx group when the endometrial thickness was <10 mm. However, when the endometrial thickness was ≥10 mm, the MVA and T/C groups had significantly better scores than the Bx group (p = 0.0225 and p = 0.0244, respectively). Vagal reflex, as an adverse event, was observed only in two patients in the Bx group (2/20, 10%).
CONCLUSION
Considering its quality and safety, Karman-type MVA for endometrial sampling could be an alternative to fractional curettage using a metallic uterine curette sonde.
Topics: Humans; Female; Vacuum Curettage; Endometrium; Endometrial Neoplasms; Uterine Neoplasms; Biopsy
PubMed: 36054542
DOI: 10.1111/jog.15403 -
African Health Sciences Mar 2022The risk of uterine perforation during manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) is reduced by using Karman cannula (which has a rounded tip) during the procedure.
BACKGROUND
The risk of uterine perforation during manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) is reduced by using Karman cannula (which has a rounded tip) during the procedure.
METHODS
A 35-year-old multigravida at 13 gestational weeks presented with vaginal bleeding of a day duration and ultrasound evidence of retained products of conception suggestive of incomplete miscarriage. The patient was rhesus D positive and stable. She had MVA which was performed using Karman cannula, and developed severe vaginal bleeding. The differential diagnoses were incomplete uterine evacuation and uterine perforation.
RESULTS
During a laparotomy in Lloyd-Davies position, haemoperitoneum and six uterine perforations on the anterior and fundal parts, each approximately 5 mm in length (Figure 1), were found. The perforations were repaired and a check uterine curettage under oxytocic cover showed an empty uterus. The abdominal cavity was washed and closed. She was transfused three units of red blood cell concentrate and had a normal six weeks follow-up.
CONCLUSION
When an instrument inserted into the uterus is pushed beyond the estimated depth of the uterus, a perforation must be suspected and the condition may be managed conservatively. A surgical procedure complicated by surgeon's loss of perception (in this case tactile) of tissues' anatomy is hazardous.
Topics: Abortion, Incomplete; Delivery of Health Care; Female; Humans; Uterine Hemorrhage; Uterine Perforation; Vacuum Curettage
PubMed: 36032497
DOI: 10.4314/ahs.v22i1.23 -
Journal of Health Monitoring Jun 2022Unwanted pregnancies and abortions are experiences shared by many women. In light of the fact that some general framework conditions are currently changing in Germany,...
Unwanted pregnancies and abortions are experiences shared by many women. In light of the fact that some general framework conditions are currently changing in Germany, and that the Corona pandemic represents a particular challenge for the care of women with unwanted pregnancies, current data from the statistics on terminations of pregnancy of the Federal Statistical Office are outlined. Compared to Europe, Germany has a low proportion of induced abortions. In 2021, 94,596 abortions were reported. The number of abortions as well as the abortion rate and the abortion ratio have decreased since 2001. 95.8% of abortions took place according to the so-called counselling provision. In more than half of the abortions (52.1%) vacuum aspiration was used, in 11.4% curettage, 32.3% were medical abortions using mifepristone. There are large regional differences in the method used.
PubMed: 35891938
DOI: 10.25646/9956 -
Cureus Jun 2022Uterine rupture is an obstetric emergency that traditionally occurs during delivery in a mother with previously known risk factors, especially a uterine scar. However, a...
Uterine rupture is an obstetric emergency that traditionally occurs during delivery in a mother with previously known risk factors, especially a uterine scar. However, a rupture that occurs in an unscarred uterus is uncommon. We report a case of a low-risk mother who presented for induction of labor for late-term pregnancy, without a history of uterine surgery, required vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery for maternal exhaustion, and one hour later was noted to have postpartum hemorrhage. The postpartum hemorrhage was managed medically but was taken for curettage due to continued hemorrhage and hemodynamic instability, followed by laparotomy which identified an 11 cm vertical uterine rupture parallel to the ascending uterine artery concealed in the broad ligament and extending inferiorly to the lateral cervix, necessitating a total abdominal hysterectomy. The patient tolerated the procedures well and was discharged home on postoperative day 2. Highlighting the importance of a high index of suspicion for uterine rupture, even without risk factors, this report describes an atypical presentation and describes an effective stepwise approach to management.
PubMed: 35865436
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.26041