Safety of mifepristone abortions in clinical use.
OBJECTIVE
Extensive data from clinical trials document mifepristone's safety and efficacy for induced abortion, but less information is available about its safety in routine clinical use.


METHODS
Data on mifepristone abortion use from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the largest provider of mifepristone abortion in the United States, from 2001 through the first quarter of 2004 were collected using a centralized reporting system. Over the study period, 95,163 mifepristone abortions were provided. Reportable events are complications requiring inpatient or outpatient hospital treatment.


RESULTS
Overall, 2.2 per 1000 women (95% CI 1.9-2.5) experienced a complication, most commonly, heavy bleeding. Mifepristone abortion mortality is estimated to be 1.1 per 100,000 based on one death (95% CI 0.3-5.9).


CONCLUSIONS
The safety of mifepristone is high; few serious medical complications occur in routine clinical use.
Henderson
Jillian T
JT
Center for Reproductive Health Research & Policy, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. hendersonj@obgyn.ucsf.edu
Hwang
Ann C
AC
Harper
Cynthia C
CC
Stewart
Felicia H
FH
D000021:Abortifacient Agents, Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D012449:Safety / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D000021:Abortifacient Agents, Steroidal; D015735:Mifepristone