Medical management of first trimester miscarriage: a quality improvement initiative

Introduction Medical management of first trimester pregnancy loss is a safe option that is well tolerated and affords women more autonomy in relation to their care. Recent trials provide robust evidence that mifepristone pretreatment is the optimal approach for women with missed miscarriage who desire medical management. Methods Following a change in medical management of first trimester miscarriage in our unit, we conducted a retrospective audit over a 3-month period of all women who had elected medical management as their primary treatment option. We compared the results with a previous audit that had been undertaken prior to the change in practice. Results The implementation of mifepristone resulted in an increased effectiveness of primary medical treatment for first trimester miscarriage from 53.8% to 85.2% (p=<0.001). Discussion The results of our study support the introduction of mifepristone into routine clinical practice for medical management of first trimester pregnancy loss across all maternity units.