title: An outpatient regimen of combined oral mifepristone 400 mg and misoprostol 400 microg for first-trimester legal medical abortion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the success rate of medical abortion using an outpatient regimen of oral mifepristone 400 mg and oral misoprostol 400 microg for legal abortion in women < 56 days pregnant.
  
  
  METHODS
  Successful abortion was defined as an endometrial thickness < 20 mm evaluated by transvaginal ultrasound and minimal vaginal bleeding at a control examination performed 14 days after administration of misoprostol. Over a 6-month period in 2003, a questionnaire (completion rate 70%) was used for a spot check of the patients' evaluation of the method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six hundred and sixty women underwent the procedure over a 3-year period and 606 (92%) experienced successful medical abortion. The remaining 8% had vacuum aspiration performed mainly due to uterine retention (70%). Other reasons were vaginal bleeding (25%), vomiting (2%), or pelvic infection (4%). Most women reported no days with severe pain (67%), 0--1 days with moderate pain (82%), and 0--1 days with light pain (62%). In terms of gastrointestinal side effects, 68% reported nausea, 33% vomiting, and 27% diarrhea. Most women (90%) felt that the information given at the hospital prior to the abortion was sufficient, 74% would prefer medical abortion again in case of a future unwanted pregnancy, and 85% would prefer to abort at home again.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high acceptance and success rate was seen using this outpatient oral regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark. pernaille.ravn@ouh.fyns-amt.dk
authors.forename: Pernille
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ravn
authors.forename: Ase
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: Ulla Breth
authors.initials: UB
authors.lastname: Knudsen
authors.forename: Frank Vous
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Kristiansen
mesh_terms: D000020:Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D016595:Misoprostol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000020:Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal; D016595:Misoprostol; D015735:Mifepristone