Determinants of immediate complications of abortion: A study done in Mekane Hiwet Maternity Hospital.

Objective: to identify the main determinants associated with immediate complications of abortion. The determinants (factors) studied were: delay in arrival to the hospital, delay in starting treatment, type of onset of abortion (induced or spontaneous), gestation at onset of abortion, age, marital status, literacy and parity. Design: A cross sectional descriptive study Setting: Mekane Hiwet Maternity Hospital, Asmara, Eritrea Subjects: 368 patients admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of abortion during a 3-month study period (June 1st to August 31st of 2003) Outcome measure: the proportion of early complications of abortion namely, heavy bleeding and infection. Results: The main determinant factors identified to be associated with early complication of abortion were: inducing the abortion (50% versus 21%), advanced gestational age at onset of abortion (31.9% versus 20.5%) and being unmarried (38.25 versus 20.2%). Furthermore it was found that when abortion was induced, it was being induced at an advanced gestational age making a deadly combination of the two risk factors. Conclusion: The finding is in consistency with most studies on abortion done in Africa calling for a remedial action to be taken to avert the need of inducing abortion unsafely and give the necessary post abortion care for the victims