Epidemiological, Clinical, Therapeutic and Economic Aspects of Abortions at the Bogodogo University Teaching Hospital of Bogodogo (UTH) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Objective: To study the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and economic aspects of abortions at the University teaching Hospital of Bogodogo (UTH-B) in Burkina Faso.

Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study carried out in the maternity ward of Bogodogo University Hospital in Ouagadougou. The study was conducted over an 8-month period from 1 July 2021 to 1 February 2022.

Results: The frequency of abortions was estimated at 1 abortion per 13.7 deliveries. The mean age of the patients was 27.1 years [14-45]. The patients were housewives in 47.86% of cases and 42.78% did not attend school. Only one (01) patient in 4 (22.4%) had previously used a contraceptive method. Functional signs were dominated by metrorrhagia (90.37%). The majority of patients were seen at the stage of incomplete abortion (54%) and complications were dominated by anemia (2.14%). Uterine evacuation was performed by manual intrauterine vacuum aspiration (MVA) in 60.56% of cases. After uterine evacuation, 34.76% of patients had used contraception. The average cost of treatment varied from 30,000 to 45,000 depending on the type of abortion.

Conclusion: Post-abortion care plays an important role in the activities of the Bogodogo University Hospital. The management strategy is based on the PAC concept. Complications of abortion are mainly hemorrhagic and infectious. The cost of treatment is very high for the patient. Promoting family planning and advocating the legalisation of abortion should help to combat this major cause of maternal mortality effectively.