THE EFFICACY AND TOLERANCE OF MIFEPRISTONE AND PROSTAGLANDIN IN TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY OF LESS-THAN 63 DAYS GESTATION - UK MULTICENTER STUDY - FINAL RESULTS

This paper summarizes the final results of an open multicenter study i n 13 hospital gynecological units in Scotland and England. in the stud y, 1018 pregnant women with up to 9 weeks amenorrhoea received 600 mg oral mifepristone followed 48 h later by vaginal gemeprost 1 mg, for t he induction of first trimester abortion. Outcome was measured by asse ssment of the frequency of complete abortion or the need for subsequen t surgical evacuation. Tolerance was assessed in terms of pain, requir ement for analgesia, bleeding, and other adverse effects. There was co mplete abortion in 94.8% (95%Cl 93.4-96.2); surgical evacuation was pe rformed in 5.2% of patients. There was no relationship between outcome and age of gestation on the day mifepristone was given. Seven women w ere given a transfusion. Narcotic analgesia was administered after gem eprost to 38.1% of nullipara and 10.7% of multipara. Mifepristone and prostaglandin is an effective and acceptable alternative to surgical t ermination of pregnancy in the early first trimester. (C) 1997 Elsevie r Science Inc.