A person I know had a miscarriage. How effective is methergine at passing all the tissue so as to avoid a d&c?
Answer:
methergin is not effective in expelling retained products of conception, and is generally ineffective in controlling uterine bleeding when it's due to incomplete abortion. retained tissues are better removed by D&C. this is to be certain that bleeding will stop but also to make sure that they dont get infected and cause pelvic inflammatory disease. there's a chance that bleeding will stop even when D&C is not done, but then we are taking chances. and some patients do take those chances and get away with it. i'll, however, advice you to get D&C done. it's a small procedure at the end of which you can relax knowing that there's nothing left inside.
Did your friend see a doctor? Methergine will help the uterus contract and clamp down to prevent bleeding; however, if there are still parts of the placenta present, it may not prevent hemorrhaging. If she has active bleeding, rather than a period type bleeding, or if the lighter bleeding lasts more than a week, she'll need to see a doc. The best bet is to be followed by a doctor.
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