inevitable abortion /inev″itəbəl/ [L, inevitabilis, unavoidable] , a condition of pregnancy in which spontaneous termination is imminent and cannot be prevented. It is characterized by bleeding, uterine cramping, dilation of the cervix, and presentation of the conceptus in the cervical os. If heavy bleeding supervenes, immediate evacuation of the uterus may be required. Transvaginal ultrasound makes it possible to determine presence or absence of fetal heart movement at 5 weeks’ gestation. Compare incomplete abortion, threatened abortion.
