Pregnancy Termination Flashcards
1
Q
epidemiology of pregnancy termination
A
- 45% of pregnancies in the US were unintended
- Of these, 19% resulted in pregnancy termination
- Highest rates of abortions in women ages 20-24
- Most pregnancy terminations performed in first trimester, 63% at < 8 weeks, 91% at < 13 weeks.
- 89% of all US counties lacked an abortion provider in 2011.
- 38% of all women in live in those counties
- Abortion laws vary by state, although most states restrict abortion after viability. However, the definition of viability varies by state.
2
Q
Public health and policy
A
- In the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, the Court established that:
- In the first trimester (up to 14 weeks), state laws cannot interfere with a woman’s right to end a pregnancy; decisions are left to a woman and her medical provider.
- During second trimester (14 to 24 weeks), state laws may regulate abortion procedures only in
- order to protect the woman’s health.
- During third trimester (after 24 weeks), state laws may prohibit abortion except when it is necessary
- In the 1992 Planned Parenthood of SE Pennsylvania v. Casey decision, the Court established that: States can restrict abortions, even in the first trimester, as long as restrictions do not place “undue burden” on women.
- Many state laws requiring waiting periods, mandatory counseling, and parental consent or notification have been implemented. Record numbers of restrictive state laws have been passed since 2010
- Hyde amendment forbids the use of federal funds for abortions except in cases of life endangerment or incest
- Many states have laws in effect restricting even private insurance coverage of abortion.
3
Q
Guttmacher institute
A
- Leading research and policy organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights in the US and globally
- Summarizes state policy updates surrounding reproductive health including funding, mandatory counseling, waiting periods and parental consent laws
- State-Mandated Counseling: 18 states mandate that women be give counseling before an abortion that includes information on at least one of the following: the purported link between abortion and breast cancer (5 states), the ability of a fetus to feel pain (13 states) or long-term mental health consequences for the woman (8 states).
- Waiting Periods: 27 states require a woman seeking an abortion to wait a specified period of time, usually 24 hours, between when she receives counseling and the procedure is performed. 14 of these states have laws that effectively require the woman make two separate trips to the clinic to obtain the procedure.
- Parental Involvement: 37 states require some type of parental involvement in a minor’s decision to have an abortion. 26 states require one or both parents to consent to the procedure, while 11 require that one or both parents be notified.
4
Q
access to abortion
A
- Access to safe abortion hinges upon the availability of trained abortion providers. ( According to November 2014 and reaffirmed 2017 ACOG Committee Opinion)
- The number of abortion providers has not met the level of need.
- According to 1 survey only 32% of medical schools offered at least one abortion related lecture
- A survey of residency program directors revealed that only 51% of OBGyn residency offered routine abortion training.
5
Q
health workforce pilot
A
- Multisite study (6 years 2007-2013) led to passage of law AB-154 which allows NP, CNMs, PAs to provide 1st trimester aspiration abortion in California.
- 25 site study that provided concrete evidence that 1st trimester abortion is safe whether provided by an NP, CNM, PA or Physician
- Numerous studies of abortions provided by NPs, CNMs, and PAs worldwide show that they are as safe as abortions provided by physicians trained in abortion care.
- In the HWPP #171 study, women reported high satisfaction ratings (9.4/10) with abortion services whether they were provided by NPs, CNMs, PAs, or MD/DOs.
6
Q
abortion safety - advancing new standards in reproductive health - a collaborative research group at the UCSF
A
- Retrospective study 55,000 abortions using Medi-Cal data from 2009-2010 (UCSF ANSRH)
- Major complications, defined as hospitalizations, surgeries, transfusions were rare at a rate of less than a quarter of one percent (0.23%) of all abortions
- Less than one percent of abortions result in a complication that is diagnosed and treated in an emergency room
- The overall abortion complication rate is lower than those for wisdom tooth removal
7
Q
intentional vs unintentional pregnancy
A
- Planned vs Unplanned pregnancy is multifactorial
- Ambivalence, partner influence, and cultural perspective all inform how patients feel about pregnancy intention
- Even with this variation, the significant political and emotional dissonance surrounding reproduction and sexuality has limited funding, research, and guidelines for unintended pregnancy prevention
- This in turn poses a significant burden on patients, their families, and the medical system at large
8
Q
pregnancy options counseling
A
- When providing pregnancy test results, some patients will be surprised while others will have taken a test at home and only seek confirmation. In either case, the patient may or may not require support in their decision making process
- Our role is to listen and provide patients with the appropriate level of support to come to a decision about this pregnancy, if they have not already
- When providing positive results: Be clear what the result means: “Your pregnancy test came back positive, which means you are pregnant.”
- Allow some time for the patient to process the information
- Avoid assuming how a patient will react to the result
- Avoid making assumptions especially whether or not a patient will be sad or happy about the news of a pregnancy
- For many patients the decision to have an abortion or parent is clear. They won’t need options counseling
- For patients who are less sure, provide basic information in a non-directive manner. Have referrals handy for pre-natal, adoption and abortion resources. If patient’s plan to continue pregnancy advise or prescribe pre-natal vitamins
9
Q
pregnancy and confirmation of intrauterine pregnancy (IUP)
A
- Last Menstrual Period (LMP)
- Urine HCG Blood Quant HCG
- Bimanual Exam comparison to fruit :Lemon 5-6 weeks, medium 7-8 weeks grapefruit 9-10 weeks or fungal height after 12 weeks uterus rises out of pelvis at 20 weeks reaches umbilicus.
- Ultrasound evaluation
10
Q
locating an intrauterine pregnancy
A
11
Q
early pregnancy confirmation
A
- A normal early GS can be characterized by the FEEDS mnemonic, although meeting all criteria does not exclude the possibility of ectopic pregnancy
- F - Fundal - in mid or upper uterus
- E - Ellpitical or round shape in 2 views
- E - Eccentric to the endometrial stripe
- D - Decidual reaction (surrounded by a thickened choriodecidual reaction; appears like a fluffy white cloud or ring surrounding the sac
- S - Size > 4 mm (soft criteria)
12
Q
features of an IUP
A
- The embryo and cardiac activity
- The embryo follows a predictable path of development and therefore can be used to date a pregnancy based on its size. The embryo appears at approximately 6 weeks and grows 1mm per day thereafter until 12-14 weeks. After 12 weeks, fetal flexion and extension make measuring length more challenging and using the fetal biparietal diameter (BPD) is preferred. Cardiac activity appears around 6 ½ weeks.
13
Q
first trimester abortion
A
- Medication abortion (MAB)
- An option for up to 10 weeks 0 days gestation
- Surgical Abortion
- An option for less than 13 weeks 6 days gestation
14
Q
first trimester abortion: medication abortion
A
- Also known as a medical abortion
- It is the termination of pregnancy using medications alone, rather than surgery.
- First introduced in the US in 2000
- In 2009, the CDC reported that 16.2% of abortions at _<_8 weeks and 0.9% at >8 weeks were performed via medication alone
- We will review the combination of mifepristone and misoprostol; other medications and combinations do exist.
15
Q
benefits and risks of MAB
A
- Benefits of MAB
- Privacy, can be performed partially at home in a non-clinical setting
- A sense of control over the process
- A safe and effective way to terminate a pregnancy up to 70 days gestation
- Risks of MAB
- Similar to a first trimester surgical abortion, particularly:
- Endometritis, infection, hemorrhage
- No risk of cervical injury or uterine perforation
- Increase in teratogenic risk to an ongoing pregnancy
- May still need surgical aspiration to complete the termination
- Similar to a first trimester surgical abortion, particularly:
16
Q
indications and contraindications for MAB
A
- Indications
- The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved mifepristone for the termination of an intrauterine pregnancy up to 49d gestation.
- Beyond this 49d gestation is considered off-label
- Contraindications
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Intrauterine device in place
- Patients with chronic adrenal failure or who are on concurrent long-term corticosteroid therapy
- History of hemorrhagic disorders, are on anticoagulant therapy, or on any medications that interfere with hemostasis
- History of porphyrias
- Lack of ability to comply with the regimen or access care in case of complication
- No data for women with chronic medical conditions (HTN, DM, cardiovascular, hepatic or renal disease) or cigarette smokers – labeling of mifepristone advises caution in women with these conditions
17
Q
drug interactions for MAB
A
- Drug Interactions
- Mifepristone is metabolized by cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and can theoretically interact with agents that impact CYP3A4 function.
- No specific food or drug interactions with a single dose of mifepristone have been reported.