Villanueva, Nicole P.

N2B / Group 4

Septic or Induced Abortion vs Therapeutic Abortion

Termination of pregnancy before the age of viability usually before 20-24 weeks is

considered as abortion. There are different types of abortion; one is induced it means that the

abortion was done with medical or mechanical intervention. Induced abortion can lead to septic

abortion because it can be done by untrained healthcare practitioners using unsterile technique. It

is common if the induced abortion was done illegally or outside of legitimate hospital premises.

Signs and symptoms of septic abortion are chills, fever, vaginal discharge, peritonitis, and

vaginal bleeding which typically appears within 24 to 48 hours after the abortion. And septic

abortion is treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics therapy and immediate uterine evacuation. It

is considered to be therapeutic abortion if its purpose is to safeguard the maternal life or health. It

can be either medical or surgical abortion. Medical abortion is done by taking medicine

(mifepristone and misoprostol) in early pregnancy. It is best to perform this procedure early to

avoid or decrease chance of complications. One of the complications is incomplete abortion,

which may lead to surgery to fully terminate the pregnancy. A surgical therapeutic abortion is

done by using one of these three methods: Manual vacuum aspiration (MV), Dilation and suction

curettage (D&C) and Dilation and evacuation (D&E). The safest and right way of abortion is

therapeutic because it is done with proper assistance of a healthcare practitioner and is done in a

legitimate hospital.

References:

https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/gynecology-and-obstetrics/abnormalities-of-

pregnancy/septic-abortion

https://www.winchesterhospital.org/health-library/article?id=101274
Villanueva, Nicole P.
N2B / Group 4

https://www.winchesterhospital.org/health-library/article?id=101272