title: Abortifacient efficiency of 15 (S) 15-methyl-prostaglandin F2alpha-methyl ester administered vaginally during early pregnancy.
abstract: Forty early pregnancies (menses delay 13 - 27 days) were terminated by administering four vaginal suppositoreis each containing 1.0 or 1.5 mg of 15 (S) 15-methyl-prostaglandin F2alpha-methyl ester, one every third hour. In 14 cases serial measurementsof serum estradiol and progesterone were performed during and after therapy. Uterine contractions and bleeding started 1 - 17 hours after administration of the first suppository. Abortion was complete after one week in five women (13%), and after two weeks in 30 (75%). A curettage was performed on eight women, residual placental fragments were found in seven and pregnancy continued in one woman. Mild diarrhoea (65%) and vomiting (40%) were the major side-effects, despite premedication. Estradiol and progesterone levels fell progressively during the therapy. Self-administration of 4 or 6 mg of the methyl ester caused too low a rate of complete abortion for use in practice, but it may be a valuable and practical agent for preoperative dilation of the cervix.
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D011460:Prostaglandins F / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D013488:Suppositories; D014590:Uterine Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D014621:Vagina
chemical_list: D011460:Prostaglandins F; D013488:Suppositories; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol