[An outpatient unit for early pregnancy. Establishment and effects on the pattern of hospital admissions]

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of an assessment of complications in early pregnancy in an "early pregnancy unit" opened in May 1993. The purpose of the "early pregnancy unit" was to avoid routine admission of women with pain/bleeding in early pregnancy. All general practitioners were informed of the possibility of referring patients to examination and ultrasonography in the "early pregnancy unit" during daytime, instead of acute admission to the ward. Data was compiled from the hospital admission and the emergency unit register for the years 1992-1996. These showed that admissions for early pregnancy complications decreased from 714 (1992) to 315 (1996) accounting for 41% (1992) and 16% (1996) of total admissions to the department, and 23% (1992) and 10% (1996) of the numbers of deliveries, respectively. Women referred between 00:00 hours and 7 a.m. accounted for 23% (1992) and 9% of admissions of total admissions or of deliveries (1996). It is concluded that initiation of the early pregnancy assessment unit resulted in a reduction in the number of admissions. The hospital staff experienced a reduced workload during the night.