Bowel injury following induced abortion

Abstract

Objective: Bowel injury is an uncommonly reported yet serious complication of induced abortion, which is often performed illegally by persons without any medical training in developing countries. A sudden increase in cases prompted the authors to analyze this problem. Method: A retrospective review was done of 11 cases of bowel injury following induced abortion seen over 2 years at Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, India. Results: Young, married women of low socioeconomic status with a strong preference for male children were the predominant recipients of induced abortion in India. The terminal ileum and pelvic colon were the most commonly injured portions of the bowel owing to their anatomic locations. Conclusion: Preoperative resuscitation, then resection with exteriorization of bowel and thorough peritoneal lavage, is the treatment for bowel injury incurred during induced abortion when the patient presents late.