In a multicentre study the safety and efficacy of 125 µg intramuscular injection of 15(S)15 methyl PGF , (Prostin 15M, Upjohn) was compared with ergometrine and controls who did not receive any oxytocic for prophylactic control of postpartum bleeding. The study included 441 patients. The duration of third stage was shortened to 6.1 minutes following ergometrine and to 3.5 minutes following Prostin 15M compared to 7.6 minutes in the control subjects. Similarly the blood loss during third stage was less (95.2 ml) in Prostin 15M treated group compared to the untreated control group (233.2 ml). Prostin 15M, when used prophylactically, was also better than ergometrine (154.0 ml) in controlling the blood loss during third stage of labour in normal vaginal delivery.

In a multicentre trial (3 centres) the safety and efficacy of an intramuscular injection of 125 µg of 15(S)15 methyl PGF (Prostin 15M, Upjohn) was compared with methylergometrine for prophylactic control of bleeding during the third stage of labour. Three hundred patients were recruited for the study - 150 to each treatment group. The duration of the third stage was shorter in the patients (4.4 minutes) treated with Prostin 15M compared to the methylergometrine group (8.6 minutes). Similarly the blood loss during the third stage was reduced by 50% of that observed in the methylergometrine group (72 ml vs 145 ml). Prostin 15M, when used prophylactically was better than methylergometrine in controlling the blood loss during the third stage of labour.

In a multicentre trial the efficacy of 250 µg of intramuscular 15(S)15 methyl PGF (Prostin 15M, Upjohn) was tested in controlling the postpartum hemorrhage following delivery at term. All patients included in this study did not respond to the conventional therapy of intravenous oxytocin infusion and methergin. Forty-eight patients were included in this analysis. Forty patients responded to therapy. The blood loss following Prostin 15M injection was significantly (p<0.01) reduced from 666 ml to 341 ml. The mean blood replacement was 833 ml.

A multicentre study was undertaken to study intramuscular 15(S)15 methyl PGF (Prostin 15M, Upjohn) for induction of second trimester abortion. The patients were premedicated with Imodium and Perinorm to control the gastrointestinal side effects. The dose of Prostin 15M was 250 µg every two hours and the progress of the abortion was assessed before each injection. If there was no progress at the end of 10 injections the case was classified as a failure. Ninety-seven patients were recruited for the study, 39 were primigravidae and 58 multigravidae. Twenty-four out of 39 primigravidae and 52 out of 58 multigravidae aborted with the treatment. The mean induction abortion interval was 17.8 hours in the primigravidae and 14.5 hours in the multigravidae patients. The mean number of episodes of vomiting was 2.9 and diarrhoea 4.2 per patient per trial. The primigravidae had slightly higher incidence of gastrointestinal side effects. The overall incidence of incomplete abortion was 17.1%.

Intramuscular 15(S)15 methyl PGF (Prostin 15M, Upjohn) was used for induction of labour in cases of missed abortion and intra-uterine fetal death. The patients received premedication to control the gastrointestinal side effects. Prostin 15M was given at a dose of 250 µg every three hours and escalated whenever required. The trial was interrupted in two out of 83 patients. Altogether 75 patients (92.6%) expelled the fetus with the treatment. The mean induction abortion interval was 14.7 hours. The primigravidae had a longer (18.2 hrs) interval than the multigravidae (13.8 hrs). The mean number of episodes of vomiting was 2.9 and of diarrhoea 3.5 per patient and treatment.