BMC Health Services Research, by Patrick G C Ilboudo, Giulia Greco, Johanne Sundby, Gaute Torsvik, 2016;16:559 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-016-1822-7 AbstractTreatment costs of induced abortion complications can consume a substantial amount of hospital resources and may affect hospitals’ capacities to deliver other health care services. Yet few studies have been conducted to document the costs of treating abortion complications in Burkina Faso. This study estimated the costs of six abortion complications, including incomplete abortion, haemorrhage, shock, infection/sepsis, cervical or vaginal laceration, and uterine perforation in women treated in two public referral hospital facilities in Ouagadougou and the cost saving of providing safe abortion care services. Abortion-related complications were assessed through a review of post-abortion care registers and interviews with key informants in maternity wards and hospital facilities. Two structured questionnaires were used, one to collect information on the units and the unit costs of drugs and medical supplies used in the treatment of each complication, and the other to gather information on salaries and overhead expenses. Across the six types of complications, the mean cost per patient was US$45.86. The total cost to these two public referral hospital facilities was US$22,472.53 in 2010, equivalent to US$24,466.21 in 2015. Provision of safe abortion care services to women who suffered from complications of unsafe induced abortion and who received care in these public hospitals would only have cost US$2,694, with potential savings of US$19,778 in that year.PHOTO: Amnesty International, 2014
