Objectives: To determine care costs of incomplete abortions at public hospitals and elective abortions at a private institution. Design: Prospective study. Participants: Women with incomplete abortion. Methods: In 120 women with either complicated or non-complicated incomplete abortion in four public hospitals and 40 women in a private hospital, time for attention, cost of personal, drugs, materials, equipments and hospital functioning were determined; also pocket cost, transportation, children and home care and non-perceived income. All women signed informed consent. Main outcome measures: Care costs. Results: Hospital stay at three hospitals for non-complicated incomplete abortion until discharge was about 6 hours, more in one hospital because of internal norms. Abortion complications at the four hospitals required longer stay. Women with elective abortion required half the time of tho...

Objectives: To determine care costs of incomplete abortions at public hospitals and elective abortions at a private institution. Design: Prospective study. Participants: Women with incomplete abortion. Methods: In 120 women with either complicated or non-complicated incomplete abortion in four public hospitals and 40 women in a private hospital, time for attention, cost of personal, drugs, materials, equipments and hospital functioning were determined; also pocket cost, transportation, children and home care and non-perceived income. All women signed informed consent. Main outcome measures: Care costs. Results: Hospital stay at three hospitals for non-complicated incomplete abortion until discharge was about 6 hours, more in one hospital because of internal norms. Abortion complications at the four hospitals required longer stay. Women with elective abortion required half the time of tho...