User:Stephwong23/Septic abortion

Septic abortion describes any type of abortion (an intentional termination or miscarriage) due to an upper genital tract bacterial infection. The infection occurs in the placenta and fetus with a potential complication of also affecting the uterus that can result in sepsis, spreading to surrounding organs, or pelvic infections.

Causes
By definition, septic abortion is caused by a variety of bacterial infections. Bacteria can come from vaginal and endocervical flora or can be transmitted sexually. The development of sepsis is primarily due to two scenarios: first when there is an incomplete abortion caused by the pathogens that result in products of conception remaining in the body, and second when intentional septic procedures leads to the spread of the infection from the placenta or fetus to the uterus; the latter can subsequently cause complications like pelvic septicamia. Possible pathogens include Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Escherichia coli, Mycoplasma hominis, and other gram-positive or gram-negative bacteria. Within the large range of potential pathogens, in third world countries tetanus is the most common cause, while in the U.S. Clostridium perfringens is the most common cause especially in induced abortions. In situations where intentional abortion is performed illegally or in impoverished countries, there is a higher risk of septic complications because it is likely that the procedure was performed by non-professionals in unhygienic settings, making way for more exposure to infectious bacteria. Put in perspective, infection caused 62% of illegal abortion and 51% of miscarriages, however infection only caused 21% of deaths from legally performed septic abortions.

Complications

 * sepsis
 * pelvic septicemia
 * septic pelvic thrombophlebitis
 * disseminated intravascular coagulopathy
 * septic shock
 * renal failure
 * death

Induced abortion
These are risk factors for post-abortion sepsis in women going through induced abortion


 * undergoing illegal septic abortion procedures
 * undergoing septic abortion procedures in resource-poor areas
 * incomplete septic abortion such as late uterine evacuation
 * young women
 * unmarried women
 * delayed treatment

Spontaneous abortion

 * delayed treatment
 * late uterine evacuation