M. Nuutila et al., A COMPARISON BETWEEN 2 DOSES OF INTRAVAGINAL MISOPROSTOL AND GEMEPROST FOR INDUCTION OF 2ND-TRIMESTER ABORTION, Obstetrics and gynecology, 90(6), 1997, pp. 896-900
Objective: To compare the abortifacient efficacies of two intravaginal
ly administered misoprostol doses and gemeprost in termination of seco
nd-trimester pregnancy. Methods: Eighty-one women between 12 and 24 we
eks' gestation requesting abortion were randomized to receive intravag
inally either 100 mu g of misoprostol at 6-hour intervals (n = 27), 20
0 mu g of misoprostol at 12-hour intervals (n = 26), or 1.0 mg of geme
prost at 3-hour intervals (n = 28). The regimen was continued until ab
ortion, or for 36 hours, with assessment of the rate of complete and i
ncomplete abortions as well as side effects within 48 hours from the s
tart of the treatment. Results: The final rates of terminations were 7
4% in the 100-mu g misoprostol group, 92% in the 200-mu g misoprostol
group, and 89% in the gemeprost group. Abortion was complete in 37%, 6
1%, and 32% in each group, respectively (P = .03, when the 200-mu g mi
soprostol group was compared with the two other groups). The induction
-to-abortion interval was longer (P = .001) in the misoprostol groups
(mean 23.1 hours for the 100-mu g and 27.8 hours for the 200-mu g dose
) than in the gemeprost group (14.5 hours). There was less pain (P = .
01), diarrhea (P = .001), and vomiting (P = .01) in the misoprostol gr
oups than in the gemeprost group. The mean blood loss in the misoprost
ol groups was lower than in the gemeprost group (P = .001). Conclusion
s: Intravaginal application of 200 mu g of misoprostol at 12-hour inte
rvals in induction of second-trimester abortion is equally effective t
o a standard gemeprost regimen. Misoprostol causes fewer side effects
and is cheaper and more practical to use. (C) 1997 by The American Col
lege of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.