title: Serious infection associated with induced abortion in the United States.
abstract: Though serious infection after induced abortion is rare, infections account for one third of abortion-related deaths in the United States. Most fatal cases of infection after induced medical abortion have involved clostridial species. These reported cases share important clinical features that may guide clinicians to earlier recognition and institution of therapy. This article reviews our current knowledge regarding serious clostridial infections postabortion including the typical clinical presentation, pathophysiology, modes of diagnosis, and available treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. dempsear@musc.edu
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dempsey
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D003016:Clostridium perfringens; D047989:Paraclostridium sordellii; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents