First trimester termination of pregnancy: methods in comparison between two European university hospitals

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION: To compare methods, epidemiological features, and legislations of first trimester termination of pregnancy in two European Union University Hospital: Szeged, Hungary, (UHS) and Rome, Italy (UHR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 195 women in UHS and 197 women in UHR undergoing a termination of pregnancy, The method used in UHR was electric vacuum aspiration, while in UHS it is chosen according to the patients' features. RESULTS: Mean gestational week at the time of interruption was 8.21 ± 0.12 SD for UHS and 9.00 ± 0.08 SD for UHR (p = 0.000 1). Previous artificial termination of pregnancy was 0.40 ± 0.05 SD for UHR, and 0.77 ± 0.07 SD for UHS (p = 0.0001). Foreign women were 32.5% in UHR and 0.5% in UHS. Incidence of side effects was 1% for UHS and 0.5% for UHR. Parity was 2.54 ± 0.12 SD for UHR and 3.00 ± 0.14 SD for UHS (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The methods for interruption resulted safe and effective. Antibiotic prophylaxis, routinely provided in UHR, turned out to be effective to pre- vent post-operative infections. Cervical priming with Laminaria is safe, but patient's hospitalization is required. Different legislations may account for some epidemiological differences between the two hospitals.