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Summary of features of different types of abortion

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The table below summarises the characteristics of different types of abortion.

Types of Abortion:

  • threatened abortion - minimal pain; bleeding <K; cervix closed; uterine size = dates; ultrasound = FH visualised

  • inevitable - pain+; bleeding >K; cervix = open; uterine size = dates; ultrasound FH may/may not be visualised

  • complete - no pain; bleeding < K; cervix = closing; uterine size = dates; ultrasound = empty uterus

  • incomplete - pain +/-; bleeding >>K; cervix = open; uterine size = or < dates; ultrasound = retained products/no fetal heart

  • missed - no pain; bleeding = minimal brown; cervix = closed; uterine size = small; ultrasound = no fetal heart

Key: K = bleeding equivalent to menstruation; FH = fetal heart

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