Skip to main content

Medical Abortion

Kristina Gracey Gracey, MD, MPH, Madeleine P Whitaker, DO and Jeremy Golding, FAAFP, MD Reviewed 05/2023
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • Medical abortion is the administration of medications to end an early pregnancy.

  • The U.S. FDA has approved a combination of two medications for terminating pregnancies of up to 70 da...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Careful, nonjudgmental assessment of a woman’s thoughts and feelings about her pregnancy is the starting point for all subsequent counseling regarding options for the pregnancy.

  • Establ...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

  • The FDA has approved mifepristone and misoprostol given in combination to induce abortion in gestations up to 70 days. Efficacy to at least 77 days has also been shown using ...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Several hours of severe cramping accompanied initially by heavy then by lighter bleeding after passage of what appeared to be tissue is highly suggestive of a co...

REFERENCES

1
Aiken ARA, Romanova EP, Morber JR, et al. Safety and effectiveness of self-managed medication abortion provided using online telemedicine in the United States: A population based study. La...

ADDITIONAL READING

Medication abortion up to 70 days of gestation. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 225. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol. 2020;136:e3...

CODES

ICD10

  • Z33.2 Encounter for elective termination of pregnancy

  • O04.80 (Induced) termination of pregnancy with unsp complications

  • O03.4 Incomplete spontaneous abortion without complication

  • O02.1 Missed ...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Medical abortion is a highly effective and extremely safe.

  • The FDA-approved regimen of mifepristone 200 mg and misoprostol 800 μg is up to 70 days post-LMP.

  • Expect bleeding and cramping ...

Subscribe to Access Full Content

Sign Up for a 10-Day Free Trial

Sign up for a 10-day FREE Trial now and receive full access to all content.

×