title: A prospective randomized study on the measured blood loss in medical termination of early pregnancy by three different misoprostol regimens after pretreatment with mifepristone.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prolonged vaginal bleeding is a common complaint after medical abortion. The effect of a 1 week course of daily oral misoprostol after medical abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol on the amount of post-abortal blood loss was studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 150 women (gestation <or=63 days) were randomized to three groups using computer-generated tables. They received 200 mg oral mifepristone, followed 48 h later by 0.8 mg oral misoprostol and vaginal placebo in group A, and 0.8 mg vaginal misoprostol and oral placebo in groups B and C. In groups A and B, the women continued with oral misoprostol 0.4 mg twice daily on days 4-10, while the women in group C took placebo. The actual blood loss was measured by the alkaline haematin method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant difference in the median amount (82.8, 94.7 and 88.5 ml for A, B and C respectively) and duration (16, 15 and 16 days respectively) of vaginal bleeding was observed. The incidence of diarrhoea was significantly higher (66, 55.1 and 12.5% respectively) in the groups with oral misoprostol after abortion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A 1 week course of oral misoprostol (0.4 mg twice daily) could not decrease the duration and amount of vaginal bleeding. Further studies with a larger sample size are needed to assess whether the complete abortion rate can be improved with this regimen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China. ostang@graduate.hku.hk
authors.forename: Oi Shan
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Sharon W H
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Pak Chung
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Ho
mesh_terms: D000021:Abortifacient Agents, Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000139:chemically induced; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016595:Misoprostol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011247:Pregnancy; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000021:Abortifacient Agents, Steroidal; D016595:Misoprostol; D015735:Mifepristone