Morbidity of therapeutic abortion in Auckland

Twenty-six women were admitted to National Women's Hospital with complications following therapeutic abortion at the Auckland Medical Aid Centre, during its first year of operation. This represents 1.4 percent of the total number of cases at the Centre that year. The principal early complicatons were pelvic sepsis, suspected uterine perforation and incomplete abortion. The complication rate appears to be low and compares favourably with reports from other centres. During the same period, 17 women (8.4 percent) whose pregnancies were terminated at National Women's Hospital had significant complications. All 43 complicated cases are analysed.