Fatal Myocardial Infarction Resulting From Coronary Artery Septic Embolism After Abortion: Unusual Cause and Complication of Endocarditis, ,

Significant medical complications after elective abortion are rare. However, complications do occur, and the emergency physician should always bear this in mind when evaluating a patient with significant illness who has recently undergone an elective abortion. Reported here is a case of postabortion endocarditis, manifesting as a septic coronary artery embolism, that led to a fatal acute myocardial infarction. [Caraballo V: Fatal myocardial infarction resulting from coronary artery septic embolism after abortion: Unusual cause and complication of endocarditis. Ann Emerg Med January 1997;29:175-177.]