THE MANAGEMENT OF FIRST TRIMESTER MISCARRIAGE BY GENERAL-PRACTITIONERS IN IRELAND

A single shot questionnaire was sent to 500 general practitioners, wit h 39 per cent valid response, to audit first trimester miscarriage man agement, With threatened miscarriage 60 per cent were cared for at hom e (10 per cent of these had ultrasound) and 49 per cent were transferr ed to hospital, The miscarriage rate was 14 per cent - 61.7 per cent h ad no symptoms (of these 42.2 per cent had a positive pregnancy test), 24.4 per cent had threatened miscarriage with 11.6 per cent incomplet e and 2.3 per cent complete, The general practitioner is ideally place d to develop initial clinical management strategies and direct access to ultrasound would be helpful.