Abstract
A majority of the unsafe abortions are performed by untrained birth attendants or quacks leading to complications in a large proportion of these cases. Complications like bowel injury, bladder injury, uterine perforation, and septic abortion are mostly caused by unskilled hands and are detected immediately or within few days of the procedure, owing to the need for tertiary level care. Here we present a very interesting case of unsafe abortion induced by a Ryle's tube in a 32-year-old lady, which was diagnosed five years after the procedure. Considering its atypical presentation, it is the first case of its kind in the literature. The details of the case and its management are described along with appropriate pictures.
Highlights
World Health Organization (WHO) defines unsafe abortion as a procedure for terminating an unintended pregnancy either by individuals without the necessary skills or in an environment that does not conform to minimum medical standards or both [1]
We report an interesting case where a 70 cm long Ryle’s tube was used for illegal abortion causing uterine perforation and partial extrusion of the tube into the peritoneal cavity
The literature reveals volumes of research articles, case reports, and letters to the editor on unsafe abortion. All these articles deliver a common message that medical termination of pregnancies (MTPs) done by unskilled hands, without taking aseptic measures, leads to severe health consequences ranging from visceral injury, genital fistula, and septicaemia to death of the patient
Summary
World Health Organization (WHO) defines unsafe abortion as a procedure for terminating an unintended pregnancy either by individuals without the necessary skills or in an environment that does not conform to minimum medical standards or both [1]. Lack of knowledge and requisite skill as well as disregard about asepsis results in various complications like sepsis, uterine perforation, bowel and bladder injury, and vesicovaginal fistula. These occur primarily due to usage of sharp instruments. Rubber catheter has been widely used in India as an abortifacient, as mentioned in a case series of 200 midtrimester medical termination of pregnancies (MTPs) in the early eighties [3]. There were no complaints from the patient until 5 years had passed
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
