Patient Preferences in Anesthesia for Abortion Care (PAC)

University of New Mexico (UNM)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Pregnancy Termination in First Trimester

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03030443

16-275

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will use semi-structured interviews with participants in a prospective cohort study to explore women's experiences of pain and preferences in pain management during first trimester surgical abortion to create a more patient centered experience. We will analyze two study cohorts of women undergoing first trimester surgical abortion: women choosing oral anesthesia and women choosing nitrous oxide.

Full description

This study will utilize an open-ended semi-structured interview format to elicit a broader understanding of the multi-dimensional pain experience of woman undergoing an abortion procedure. This study seeks to provide further evaluation of the pain experience and preferences of women receiving alternative methods of pain management such as oral sedation and nitrous oxide.

The study will use semi-structured interviews to explore women's experiences of pain and preferences in pain management during first trimester surgical abortion and will include a procedural pain outcome using the visual analog scale (VAS) to create a more patient centered experience.

Enrollment: 29 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• women undergoing first trimester surgical abortion choosing between oral anesthesia or nitrous oxide for pain management
• women who are able to read and understand English
• women who are 18 years old or older

Exclusion criteria

• under the age of 18
• women unable to consent and/or are cognitively impaired
• women who are incarcerated
• women who do not speak English

Trial design

29 participants in 2 patient groups

Oral Sedation

Description:

Patients in this group will receive a standard procedure first trimester abortion using oral sedation for pain management following the clinic's protocol. Patients in both groups will be administered a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) assessing pain on an unmarked 100mm VAS scale with anchors at 0mm (left) being "no pain" and 100mm (right) being "pain as bad as it could be" before their procedure and immediately following procedure completion.

Nitrous Oxide

Description:

Patients in this group will receive a standard procedure first trimester abortion using titrated nitrous oxide for pain management following the clinic's protocol. Patients in both groups will be administered a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) assessing pain on an unmarked 100mm VAS scale with anchors at 0mm (left) being "no pain" and 100mm (right) being "pain as bad as it could be" before their procedure and immediately following procedure completion.