OBJECTIVE: To conduct a retrospective observational cohort study to estimate the abortion complication rate, including those diagnosed or treated at emergency departments (EDs). METHODS:Using 2009-2010 abortion data among women covered by the fee-for-service California Medicaid program and all subsequent health care for 6 weeks after having an abortion, we analyzed reasons for ED visits and estimated the abortion-related complication rate and the adjusted relative risk. Complications were defined as receiving an abortion-related diagnosis or treatment at any source of care within 6 weeks after an abortion. Major complications were defined as requiring hospital admission, surgery, or blood transfusion. RESULTS:A total of 54,911 abortions among 50,273 feefor-service Medi-Cal beneficiaries were identified. Among all abortions, 1 of 16 (6.4%, n53,531) was followed by an ED visit within 6 weeks but only 1 of 115 (0.87%, n5478) resulted in an ED visit for an abortionrelated complication. Approximately 1 of 5,491 (0.03%, n515) involved ambulance transfers to EDs on the day of the abortion. The major complication rate was 0.23% (n5126, 1/436): 0.31% (n535) for medication abortion, 0.16% (n557) for first-trimester aspiration abortion, and 0.41% (n534) for second-trimester or later procedures. The total abortion-related complication rate including all sources of care including EDs and the original abortion facility was 2.1% (n51,156): 5.2% (n5588) for medication abortion, 1.3% (n5438) for first-trimester aspiration abortion, and 1.5% (n5130) for second-trimester or later procedures.CONCLUSION: Abortion complication rates are comparable to previously published rates even when ED visits are included and there is no loss to follow-up. 1 accurate estimates of abortion complications are paramount to assess and improve quality of care and determine how public policies can most effectively safeguard women's health. Although national abortion-related mortality data exist for the United States, 2 no surveillance system captures abortion-related morbidity. Studies find varying complication rates 3-7 depending on the procedure, weeks of gestation, length of follow-up, and protocols used to detect complications. Furthermore, complication rates are underestimated by low followup rates. 5,[7][8][9] Published complication rates are considered incomplete because they usually do not include those diagnosed at sites other than the original source of care. 10From the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a retrospective observational cohort study to estimate the abortion complication rate, including those diagnosed or treated at emergency departments (EDs). METHODS:Using 2009-2010 abortion data among women covered by the fee-for-service California Medicaid program and all subsequent health care for 6 weeks after having an abortion, we analyzed reasons for ED visits and estimated the abortion-related complication rate and the adjusted relative risk. Complications were defined as receiving an abortion-related diagnosis or treatment at any source of care within 6 weeks after an abortion. Major complications were defined as requiring hospital admission, surgery, or blood transfusion. RESULTS:A total of 54,911 abortions among 50,273 feefor-service Medi-Cal beneficiaries were identified. Among all abortions, 1 of 16 (6.4%, n53,531) was followed by an ED visit within 6 weeks but only 1 of 115 (0.87%, n5478) resulted in an ED visit for an abortionrelated complication. Approximately 1 of 5,491 (0.03%, n515) involved ambulance transfers to EDs on the day of the abortion. The major complication rate was 0.23% (n5126, 1/436): 0.31% (n535) for medication abortion, 0.16% (n557) for first-trimester aspiration abortion, and 0.41% (n534) for second-trimester or later procedures. The total abortion-related complication rate including all sources of care including EDs and the original abortion facility was 2.1% (n51,156): 5.2% (n5588) for medication abortion, 1.3% (n5438) for first-trimester aspiration abortion, and 1.5% (n5130) for second-trimester or later procedures.CONCLUSION: Abortion complication rates are comparable to previously published rates even when ED visits are included and there is no loss to follow-up. 1 accurate estimates of abortion complications are paramount to assess and improve quality of care and determine how public policies can most effectively safeguard women's health. Although national abortion-related mortality data exist for the United States, 2 no surveillance system captures abortion-related morbidity. Studies find varying complication rates 3-7 depending on the procedure, weeks of gestation, length of follow-up, and protocols used to detect complications. Furthermore, complication rates are underestimated by low followup rates. 5,[7][8][9] Published complication rates are considered incomplete because they usually do not include those diagnosed at sites other than the original source of care. 10From the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health