Early Options - Summary: The Role of Ultrasound, hCG Assays, and Clinical Assessment in Medical Abortion

Early Options - A Provider's Guide to Medical Abortion

Accurate assessment of early pregnancy is an essential component of medical abortion services. The patient's history and physical examination are not sufficient to establish the diagnosis of early pregnancy reliably. For this reason, confirmation with either hCG testing or ultrasonography is required.

Extensive international experience indicates that it is not necessary for every medical abortion patient to undergo ultrasonography. However, this imaging modality should be available either on-site or through referral to practices that offer medical abortion, as it can be a valuable aid in dating gestational age, in diagnosing abnormal pregnancies, and in monitoring medical abortion when the outcome is in doubt.

The combination of TVU and ß-hCG monitoring is particularly important in cases of suspected ectopic pregnancy. With widening availability of medical abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol in the United States, research continues to evaluate the effects of these diagnostic modalities on medical abortion outcomes.

Proceed to the CME post-module test for The Role of Ultrasound, hCG Assays, and Clinical Assessment in Medical Abortion.

If you do not want to take the CME post-module test and receive credit for this CME activity, proceed to another module.

References for this module