title: Medical abortion in late second trimester--a comparative study with misoprostol through vaginal versus oral followed by vaginal route.
abstract: A randomised controlled trial was conducted to compare the relative efficacies of two regimens: Misoprostol given only vaginally or orally followed by vaginal administration of the same drug, for second trimester abortion. Multiparous women with a pregnancy of 16 to 20 weeks with no contra-indications to the drug were selected. They were randomly allocated into two groups. Patients in the first group, the 'only vaginal misoprostol' group (n = 30), were given misoprostol 400 microg 6 hourly only through vaginal route up to a maximum of 4 such doses. Women in the other group, the 'oral plus vaginal misoprostol' group (n = 24), received 400 microg of the drug at intervals of 12 hours for 2 doses, followed by 400 microg 6 hourly per vaginum up to a maximum of 4 such. Ten units of oxytocin was started in all cases when os was 4 cm dilated. Complete expulsion was 83.33% with an average time of 13.28 hours in the only vaginal misoprostol group. Complete expulsion occurred in 87.5% of women receiving oral followed by vaginal misoprostol with an average time of 8.93 +/- 0.01 hours from the first vaginal dose (p<0.05). More importantly, 66.67% women in second group delivered within 10 hours of the vaginal dose. Complete expulsion was defined in those cases where no check curettage was needed. Side-effects were not significant. This implies that misoprostol given by the vaginal route following oral priming doses had a higher success rate and a potential for a reduced hospital stay and higher bed turn-over rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata.
authors.forename: Sudarshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: Runa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bal
authors.forename: Saibal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Padma
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krishnamurthy
mesh_terms: D000020:Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000029:Abortion, Legal / Q000379:methods*; D000282:Administration, Intravaginal; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D016595:Misoprostol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000020:Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal; D016595:Misoprostol