The Results in Treatment Of 600 Incomplete Abortions

MENCKEK AND LAKRMAK:

1011

IKCOMPLETE ABORTIOKN

4. The r 1inical effect~ of estrogens on these women are Nlow in develop· ing>, but :favorable influences on convulsions, stupor, blood pressur(•, nrinary volnme, and albumin have bem observed. I deHir'P to thftnk SC'hering (Canada) Limited for th .. progynon H used in thf's<'

REFERENCES

( 1) Smith, G. V. 8., and Smith, 0. 1V.: Surg. Gyne<'. Obst. 61: 175, l!l:l5. (~'I 8httte, E. V.: Endo,•rinology 21: 594, 1837. (3) Mtthlbock, 0.: Lan~et 1: n:;4. 19i\!l. 0) 8i,,gler, S. L.: ,J. Lab. & Olin. Mecl. 24: 1:l77, Jfl:\fl. (5) Shute, E. V.: Surg. Gym'''· Obst. 65: 480, 19:{7. ((1) Idem: A~r. .T. OBST. & GYKEC. 33: 42\1, Hlil7. ( 7) Idem: Vitamin E SympoRium, Soc. Chem. Industry, Lon
THE RESUI,TS IN TREATMENT OF 600 INCOMPLETE ABORTIONS HARRY

P.

1\'IENCKE::\',

M.D.,

AND HENRY

FLUSHING,

II.

h\NS!IlAN.

1\I.D.,

N. Y.

(From th• Department of Obstetric" and Gynecolopy,

Q~1eens

Geno·al Hospital)

PPROXIMA'l'ELY 150 patients, or 17 per eent, of the total admissions to the Gynecological Service of the Queens General Hospital, are admit1ed each year with the diagnosis of incomplete abortion, infected or otherwise. This is exelusive of those patients more than four and one-ha1f months' gravid who are plaeed under the snp!:'rvision of the Obstetrical Service. A survE·y of the case records of 600 abortions on the Gynecological Service, from 1935 to 1940, is presented in this paper. Although ther-

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treated radically with less favorable results. In determining the proper therapy, the necessity of understanding thoroughly the pathology of this disease and its relationship to the baeteriologic :findings eannot he overemphasized. On admission to the hospital, the patient i~ tentatively classified in one of the following four groups: I. Incomplete ~::1. bortion, Afebrile.-The temperature rnuKt be below J00.+ o P., and there must be no history of induetion or of chills or fever. II. Potentially Infected Abo·rtion.-The patient i~ afebrile on atlmission, but has a history of chills or fever, or of criminal interference. III. Inf<'cied Abortion.-The temperature iA at least 10(1.±°F., and there iR no clini<"al eviclence of extrauterine infection. IV. Septic Abortion.-The patient is considered septic if signs point to an extension of the infection beyond the uterus, or i:E the blood culture is positive,

1012

A.MF.RICAN ,JQURKAL OF OBH'l'ETRICS A~D OY:\ECOLOOY RE8ULTS I"" GROUP I ABOR'l'IONS

There were 423 patients who WNe afebrile on admission and gave no history of interference. Of these, 221 were curetted after being observed for forty-eight hours or more in the hospital. In the remainder of patients, the abortion was either <·ompletc•d spontaneously or hy the removal of tissue lying free in the eervical canal. There were no deaths in the entire group. Our results demonstrated that, although 40 per eent of our patients did not require curettage, their average hospital stay \vas seven days as compared to the five-day average for those patients who were curetted. Hemorrhage rarely requires immediate curettage since, in almost all instances of severe bleeding, the cause is placental tissue in the cervical canal. Severe bleeding can be controlled by its removal merely with the ovum forceps. We cannot overemphasize the necessity for waiting forty-eight hours before curetting any incomplete abortion for the following reasons: 1. Further information is often obtained from patients who, on admission, denied manipulation. 2. A normal temperature on admission may be the bottom of a spiking temperature that may become apparent the following day. 3. The vaginal examination on admission does not always reveal the presence of an extrauterine infection. An illustrative case is that of a patient who, on vaginal examination at the time of her entrance to the hospital, revealed no signs of extrauterine infection although the patient admitted recent criminal inter· ference. On the next day, signs of a fulminating peritonitis were present. She died on the third day. We may assume that the infection had already spread beyond the uterine cavity when the patient was first examined, although time was necessary for this to be clinically evident. RESULTS IN GROUP II ABORTIONS

There were 31 patients who were afebrile on admission, of whom 24 entered with a history of some form of mechanical interference with their pregnancy, and only 7 with chills or fever prior to entering the hospital. Twenty-nine of these patients remained afebrile, whereas 2 had a mild febrile course. Sixteen were curetted after five days of normal temperature with no resultant morbidity. There were no mortalities. We have selected an arbitrary period of five days before curettage in this group because longer observation is warranted in a potentially infected case. Whatever minor infection that may have been present would have subsided, and sufficient immune bodies formed to prevent spread of any persistent infection following manipulation. RESULTS IN GROUP III ABORTIONS

'!'here were 117 cases on admission where the infection was limited to the uterus. All patients received supportive therapy, and one-fourth were given sulfanilamide in addition. Forty-five patients were curetted. Twenty-nine were curetted after being afebrile for more than five days, with a postoperative morbidity of 3.4 per cent. 0£ the remaining 16,

}IIE~CKEK AND LANS:MAN :

IX COMPLETE ABORTIOK~

101 ;~

3 were curetted while mildly febrile, and 13 were curetted after an afebrile period of less than five days, with a gross morbidity of 50 pPr cent. There was 1 death in the entire group. It is in the treatment of cases in Group III where the infection is presumably limit<~d to the uterus that there is a major differener of opinion hetween schools of gynecology. Studdiford. 1 Tepresenting on\' group, favors immediate curettage of all Group III cases when the offending organism is not the StrcptococcU8 tlemolyticus. v.r e share tlw opinion of the other school which employs eonservatin' therapy lwcause of the following: 1. The uterine culture taken on admission does not always reveal the true i1tvading organism. We have observed on several occasions that a nonpathogenic or negative culture was obtained on admission, whereaa pure cultures of Stn:p. to,•ou,u.s llemolyticus were later isolated. This phenomenon may be explaint>d by the invaRion of the uterine wall by a minimal group of Yirulent hemolytic Rtrep· tor•o(•.ri with inRuffieiPnt numbers in the uterine eavity to give a positive cultutP, :!. As mentioned above, one eannot <>xrluile b,v Yaginal examiuation the presew·e of extrauterine infection. :~. \Ve ha.ve had no deaths with conservative treatment of Group III case.~. In our singl<> death in this group, Case 40311, the patient was afebrile on admission and denied interference with her pregnaney. On the second day the temperaturP was lll2°F. On vaginal examination there was no evidenee of any extrauterine infection. Nerrotic tissue was removed from the uterus with a sponge foreepR. The temperature rose to 104°F. on the third and fourth day~, and the patiPnt died on the fifth da;v·. Post·mortem examination revealed the presence of a diffuf'e peritonitis, acute suppurative endometritis and myometritis, thrombophlebitis of the hrorul ligament, and multiple absresses of the lung. Blood and uterine cultures taken at autopsy were reported as Streptococcus hemolyticus. Sulfanilamide was not available. Apparently the patient had an extremely virulent type of infection which might not have responded to any :form of therapy. It is l'onje<'tural as to what the effect of sulfanilamide might have been. The nu1i•·a1 treatment of this ease by the early invasion of the uterus with the ovum :foreeps might han: been rP>
'N e have found sulfanilamide to he im·a1uahle in the treatment of fehrile ahortions. Although we have only givrn the drug to 25 per cf'nt of our Group III and 65 per cent of Group IV patients, it is our helief that all febrile abortions warrant snlfanilmnide on admission. Om reasons are: 1. The identification of the organism from the ut~?rine culture' eannot he obtained in less than twelve to twenty·four hours. Thi" woulil delay the Parly administration of the drug. 2. AH he:fore mentioned, the initial uterine eulh1re mav not indicate the lrue · inYading organism. :t As soon as toxic manifestations apperrr, th!' omg ran he withdrnwn without st'rious damage to the pa6ent.

Our mode of administration of sulfanilamide has been in the form of prontylin, neoprontosil, or prontosil. The dosage for prontylin wa:,~ %, gr., for prontosil 1.5 e.c., and for neoprontosil 1 c.c•., per pound of body weight in 4 divided doses for the first twenty-four hours. Whenever

1014

A}lERICAS .JQl'RNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY

possible, prontylin was the drug of choi<'e, and this was administen•cl with equal doses of sodium bicarbonate. Subsequent dosage dependrtl upon the <'linieal eourse and the offending organism. A. Bt,reptococcus HPmolytic,us Infr'ctioux.--The total rlose i~ repeated for the day, thrPe-fourths the doHe for two day:;, and om•·llfllf the total doHe there· Thil:' amount is gradually redur•ed with rlinieal imr1rovement of tlw after. patient. B. Infections Other Than Sfreptoooccl
~eeond

After the blood volume has been restored hy transfusion and infusions, the total twenty-four-hour fluid intake is limited to 2,000 e.e. Complete blood counts are done before the drug is administered, and for the first three days, the fifth, and the seventh day, and twice weekly thereafter. The urine is examined daily for bile, albumin, and red blood cells. Blood chemistry determinations for nonprotE>in nitrogen, chloride, and carbon dioxide combining power are obtained when there is any question of renal impairment or acidosis. Blood titers for sulfanilamide were not determined routinely. It i"l known 2 that not all strains of the Streptococcus hemolyticus are equally susceptible to the action of sulfanilamide, and that the infection is mild when the organism is not of the invasive strain. Furthermore, it was frequently noted that the high fever in Group III patients who had not received sulfanilamide would subside following spontaneous evacuation of placental tissue. If sulfanilamide had been given to these patients and one were hasty in his eonclusions, further cures for the drug would have been reeorded. 'l'hert>fore, to determine its therapeutic value, results only for Group IV patients were considered. RESUL'I'F; IN GROUP IV ABOR'l'IONS

There were 29 paHents who, on admission to the hospital, showed signs of extension of infection beyond the uterns. Of thest~, 20 survived and 9 died. Seventeen patients received sulfanilamide. Only 2 patients were curetted after a long afebrile period, and 3 required surgical drainage of pelvic abscesses with recovery. In an analysis of the fatalities in this group, we would like to first summariae those eases which were probably hopeless on admission to the hospital. The patient in Case 27408 entered the ho~pital with a history of previous manipulation, and a temperature of 100.4 °F. In twenty· four hours there were dinical signs of a fulminating peritonitis, and the patient died on the third day. The post-mortem findings were: generalized peritonitis and Reptic embolic abscesses Pot
MENCKEN AND

LANS~IAN:

INCONIPI,ETE ABORTIONS

The patient in Case 56550 died after a febrile eourse of se,·enteen days. Tlw post-mortem findings were: perforated uterus and generalized peritonitis. The cultures taken at autopsy were reported positive for Staphylococcus aureus hemo!ytictM. Sulfanilamide was administered.

Of the remaining 6 fatalities, the following 3 patients were treated at a time when sulfanilamide was not available. Two of these died of Streptococcus hcmolyticus infections. The patient in Case 10691 confessed to the insertion of a eathet<)r several days before entering the hospital. The temperature was elevated for four days and then normal until she was discharged from the hospital on the thirteenth day. She was r.--admitted eight dayg later after the re-in~ertion of a (•atheter. The temp('rflture was normal on her second admission, ana continued so for two days. .~ tender ovary was palpated. Cultures were not taken. A curettage was performed on the thirtl day while the patient was afebrile. Following the procedure, the temperature rose to 102.6°F. The course of her disease was septic for twenty-four r1 the finding of a tender ovary and curetted the utero~. The patient in Case 57204 entered the hospital with a tempera.ture of 100.4°F. She denied interference with her pregnancy. Placental tissue present in the cervical canal was removed with the sponge forceps. On the second day, clinical ~ignR of peritonitis were present and she died 011 the third rhty. On post-mortem examination, generalized peritonitis, septic. endornetriti~. ~nd an ovarian ab!ler~" were found. Streptococcus hemolyt<:eus waH isolntP
The following 3 fatal cases reeeived sulfanilamidP therapy. The patient in Case 88486 WlJ.S admitted with a temperature of 104.4°F. Streptoeoccus l1emolyticus was isolated from the uterus and blood stream. On the second day, physical signs of acute bacterial endocarditis were present. After forty-eight hours of sulfanilamide therapy, the drug >vas discontinued because of a marked leucopenia. The patient died four days later. Post-mortem :finding;8 were: endometritis and acute bacterial endocarditis. The patient in Case 84718 had a septic abortion induced by a ''slippery <>1m.'' The temperature on admission was 103.4.° F. Nonhemolytic streptococci were isolated from the uterus, whereas repeatea blood cultures were sterile. Tlw patient had a bilateral parametritis. On the fifth day the temperature rose to 106° F., and the course of her disease wa~ septic for thirty-four days wlwn she died. The po8t·mortem :findings were: acute endometritis, thrombophlebitis of the broad ligament, septic pulmonary infarct, and generalized peritoniti~. Hemolytic streptococci, however, were isolated from the post-mortem cultures. Tlte patient reeeived neoprontosil on the fifth day, anil the routine dosage was eontinuetl for five days. At this time, jaundice and a leucopenia appeared, and thP drug was discontinued. The white blood count returned to normal in two dnyH, whereas the jaundiee persisted for sixteen days. The patient died on the thirtyfeurtll day after admission. This <'ase demonstrates that the initial utnrinl' culture ma,v not reveal the true invading organism.

1016

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY

The patient in Case 97236 had a septic abortion induced by a catheter. Her temperature was 104°F. on admission. The abortion was complicated by a parametritis. B. coli were isolated :from the uterus and blood stream. Sulfanilamide was administered. The course of her disease was septic for twenty-five days when she died. The post-mortem findings were: septic endometritis, left tubaovarian abscess, left parametritis, left pelvic cellulitis, left pelvic abscess, recto· sigmoid absceAs, and generalized peritonitis. Cultures taken at autopsy were reported as B. roli.

Of 21 patients in Group IV who received sulfanilamide therapy, 4 died. However, in reviewing these mortalities, described in detail above, we find that only 2 patients had Streptococcus hernolyticus infections. One, who showed clinical evidence of an acute bacterial endocarditis on the second day and died on the fifth day, was probably too far advanced for an adequate test of sulfanilamide. Unfortunately, the second patient developed a leucopenia and jaundice, forcing us to discontinue the drug after only five days of treatment. On the other hand, we have had 3 patient'l with pelvic peritonitis due to the Streptococcus hernolyticu.s who recovered under sulfanilamide therapy. Hitherto, these cases were considered hopeless. The patient in Case 91199 was admitted with the diagnosis of parametritis and pelvic peritonitis. Hemolytic streptococci were isolated from the uterus and blood stream. Ochsner regime was instituted and, in addition, she received neoprontosil and repeated small blood transfusions. The temperature subsided by lysis at the end of the ninth day of hospitalization. The patients in Cases 99367 and 1\fi(l;iO had positive uterine cultures for StreptocooC'Us hemolyticus, whereas the blood cultures were sterile. Routine treat· ment was administered. The formpr wa~ febrile for eight days, and the latter for six days. Case 78992 entered the hospital with a parametritis and positive blood and uterine 8treptococC'Us hemolytious eultures. Under prontylin therapy, she became afebrile in five days.

Two patients were admitted with parametritis and had positive Stteptococcus hernolyticus cultures only of the uterus. Under prontylin therapy, 1 was febrile for thirty-five days and the other for six days. There were 7 patients with parametritis, of whom 4 were due to th<' Streptococcus hernolyticus, 1 to the Streptococws nonhernolyf.icus and B. coli, 1 to a St1·eptococcus 1•iridans and B. coli, and 1 to a Streptococcus viridans. None of these had a positive blood culture. All received sulfanilamide; however, their average morbidity was nineteen days as compared to eleven days in the above similarly treated Streptococcus hernolyticus group. There were no deaths attributed to sulfanilamide, although we had to discontinue the drug in 7 patients (out of 17) in Group IV because of toxic manifestations. These included 2 patients with jaundice and leucopenia, 2 with leucopenia, 1 with leucopenia and a persistence of :fever, and another with a persistent diarrhea. The frequency of toxic symptoms in this group can be attributed to the relatively large dosage of the drug given. DISCuSSION

We have had good results with the conservative treatment of abortions where the infection is apparently limited to the uterus. The only patient of this group who died received radical therapy.

LE'l'OKOI<'P E'l' AL.:

LEAD MOBILIZATION IN TOXEMIA OF PREGNANCY

1017

It is generally agreed that patients with an extrauterine infection should be treated conservatively. The only recent addition to our armamentarium is sulfanilamide. In the Streptococcus hemolyticus type of infected abortion, we have found the drug reduces the morbidity and has saved some of the hitherto hopeless cases. Because we believe in the conservative treatment of both potentially and actually infected abortions of all types, it would seem advantagemiR to avoid even the slightest manipulation that might spread infection. On numerous occasions we have observed that the digital vaginal examination caused exacerbations in infected abortions. This procedure should be reserved only for cases of questionable diagnosis, or where immediate surgical intervention for localized pus is contemplated. Otherwise, the patient should be examined only after a five-day afebrile period. This, of necessity, would prevent an adequate pathologic classification of the infected case on admission; a point whi<'h we feel of no therapentie moment. REFERENCES

(1) 8tud
C. A .• and JanPway, C. A.:

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(2) ChmullPr,

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T,EAD MOBILIZATION ACCOMPANYING TOXEMIA OF PREGNANCY

v.

T. LETONOFF, M.S., JOHN G. REINHOLD, PH.D., HELENA E. RIGGS, M.D., AND CLARENCE COHN, M.D., PHILADELPHIA, p A. ( l?rom the Labomtories and the

D~·partrnent

of Obstetrics, Philadelphia General

Ilospital)

THE course of a survey of lead concentration in tissue in disease, IofNhigh values were found in kidney and pituitary of three women dying toxemia of pregnancy. In these

cases the fetal tissues also showed increased lead concentration. As a result of these findings, estimations of the lead content of blood and urine have been made on 18 patient.<~ with a clinical diagnosis of toxemia of pregnancy. This included 12 cases of pre-eclampsia, 1 case of eclampsia, 3 cases of nephritic toxemia and 2 of essential hypertension. Fifteen normally pregnant women in the same age group, and of similar economic status served as controls.

The salient studies in both groups are shown in Tables I and II. In patients with toxemia, the mean concentration of lead in whole blood was 0.053 mg. per 100 c.c. (±0.0070 S.E.). This is well above the average established for normals by the method employed.t By this method, blood lead values for normal individuals aver· age 0.0295 mg. per 100 c.c. (±0.0029 S.E.) and findings of 0.060 or higher are con· sidered indicative of excessive absorption or of lead mobilization. Eight toxemic patients showed blood lead concentrations above the range of normal established by Letonoff and Reinhold;t and by comparison with the control group, six presented signiiicantly elevated values. Excretion of lead in the urine was measured in 3 of the eases of toxemia of pregnancy and was found to exceed normal limits in all cases. In 2 cases; this was associated with elevated blood lead; in the third, the blood lead value was normal.