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Table 1 Comparison of the emergency treatment received by women with unsafe abortions (Cases = 171) and women with spontaneous abortion (SA-controls = 638)

From: Usual hospital care versus post-abortion care for women with unsafe abortion: a case control study from Sri Lanka

Emergency treatment   Cases   SA-controls Significance
No. % No. %  
Removal of retained products:
Time since admission to treatment*      
 Too long 28 16.4% 72 11.3% ϰ2 = 3.2; df = 1
 Appropriate 143 83.6% 566 88.7% p = 0.07
Procedure used      
 Medical induction 25 14.6% 124 19.4% -
 Surgical removal 126 73.7% 464 72.7%  
 Both surgical & medical removal 0 0.0% 15 2.4%  
 None 20 11.7% 35 5.5%  
Surgical removal within 24 hours** 80 63.5% 253 52.8% ϰ2 = 4.6; df = 1
p = 0.03
Anaesthesia for surgical removal** 106 84.1% 442 92.3% ϰ2 = 7.76; df = 1
p = 0.005
Supportive care:      
 Intravenous antibiotics given 156 91.2% 198 31.0% ϰ2 = 198; df = 1
p = 0.00
 Pain relief given 159 93.0% 585 91.7% ϰ2 = 0.3; df = 1
p = 0.5
Intravenous fluids/products given:      
 Blood 54 31.6% 4 0.6%  
 FFP/cryo/platelets 23 13.5% 0 0.0%  
 Normal saline 106 62.0% 158 24.8%  
 Hartman 34 19.9% 18 2.8%  
 5% dextrose 18 31.6% 20 3.1%  
  1. *Length of time, as perceived by the patients.
  2. **Includes 126 unsafe abortions and 479 spontaneous abortions who underwent a surgical procedure.
  3. p value in bold print, if significant at 0.05 level.
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BMC Health Services Research

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