[Pain relief in induced abortion--considerable differences between hospital departments]

Women undergoing medical abortions require different types of pain relief, severe pain being a problem. This study compared the pain relief required during a medical abortion at the Departments of Gynecology in Kalmar and Karlskrona. The case notes of 100 women at each department were examined. Considerable differences between the two departments were found. In Kalmar women were mainly given paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene at the start of the procedure, while in Karlskrona women were usually given suppository diclofenac. In Kalmar 42 per cent of the women needed some form of opiate during the abortion, while in Karlskrona only 8 per cent required opiates.