IATROGENIC COMPLICATIONS OF SURGICAL ABORTIONS IN FIRST TRIMESTER IN COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

Dilatation and evacuation is a very common obstetric procedure practiced almost on a daily basis in all hospitals. Complications associated with it are several, including bleeding, perforation, infection, adhesions. The overall perforation rate for rst trimester 1,2 abortions is around 0.8–1.3 per 1,000 according to different authors. However, the incidence varies due to under reporting as underqualied practitioners still carry on abortions at unauthorized centres resulting in such complications. Some inadvertent complications also might occur at tertiary care centres which are managed immediately under direct vision. COVID 19 pandemic had created limitation of resources and travel for the common, causing patients to undergo procedures at the nearest available centres, irrespective of authorization of such procedures at those centres and thereby resulting in complications. Here we present a series of three cases of uterine perforation occurring as complication of dilatation and evacuation, two of which were carried out in private centres which had further resulted in bowel injury or broad ligament hematoma.