Evaluating the quality and coverage of post-abortion care in Zimbabwe: a cross-sectional study with a census of health facilities

Table 1 Signal functions for post-abortion care (PAC)

Basic PAC Signal Functions	Comprehensive PACs Signal Functions
• Perform removal of retained products of conception ^a,b	• Perform all basic functions (minus communication/referral capacity) plus:
• Administer parenteral antibiotics ^b	o Provide long-acting reversible contraceptives: implants or IUDs
• Administer uterotonics ^b	o Perform blood transfusion ^b
• Administer intravenous fluids ^b	o Surgical/laparotomy capability ^e
• Provide contraceptives (condom, pills or injectables) ^c
• Communication means or referral capacity ^d

^a Includes manual/electric vacuum aspiration (MVA/EVA), misoprostol, D&E and dilatation & curettage (D&C) for both ≤12 weeks and> 12 weeks gestation. Although D&C is not a recommended method, the majority of PAC procedures (75%) in Zimbabwe are D&C/D&E [3]. Therefore, we have included D&C as a criteria for removal of retained products to assess capacity
^b Facilities were considered to have capability to perform this function if they reported it as a common treatment procedure for their PAC patients in the HFS
^c If facilities reported currently having at least one short-acting method out of condoms (male or female), pill or injectables, they were coded as having capability to provide short-acting reversible contraceptive (SARC) methods
^d We considered a facility to have referral/communication capacity if they reported commonly having telephone/radio communication for patient services or an ambulance to transport patients to referral facilities
^e Facilities that reported an available and functional operating room were coded to have surgical/laparotomy capability