The risk of serious complications from induced abortion: Do personal characteristics make a difference?

Abstract

We examined the age, gestational age, parity, race, and number of previous spontaneous and induced abortions of 82,030 women who obtained abortions at ≤24 weeks' gestation. Among these women, 342 (0.4%) had serious complications, including 130 (0.2%) with fever ≥38° C for 3 or more days, 172 (0.2%) who required transfusions, 67 (0.1%) who required unintended surgery, and three who died. Factors significantly (p < 0.05) associated with serious complications varied by period of gestation, including previous induced abortions (adjusted relative risk = 1.57, 95% confidence interval = 1.03 to 2.40) for procedures done at ≤12 weeks' gestation, advancing age (relative risk for a 5-year increment = 1.12, 95% confidence interval = 1.01 to 1.24), and advancing gestational age (relative risk for a 2-week increment = ·1.50, 95% confidence interval = 1.43 to 1.57) for procedures done at >12 weeks, and ≥1 previous delivery (relative risk = 1.34, 95% confidence interval = 1.03 to 1.75) for all gestational ages. Although Hispanic women had higher rates of complications compared with white women, data were not available to control for socioeconomic status in comparing race groups. There was no significant association between previous spontaneous abortions and serious complications. Risk patterns were similar, but not identical, when fever, operation, and transfusion were considered separately. © 1985.