Therapeutic Abortions

Abstract

Objectives: The study was conducted to compare intravaginal misoprostolwith extra amniotic prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2") for labour induction in therapeutic abortions from 10-28 weeksgestation. Design: A prospective study experimental. Setting At Military Hospital, Rawalpindi. Period: FromMarch–December 2002. Materials & Methods: 68 patients with indications for therapeutic termination. Groups wereassigned through non-probability convenient sampling procedure. In one group 200:g of misoprostol in the form ofTab Arthrotec 50 was administered every two hours up to three doses. Other group of patients had received extraamnioticPGF2" solution. Main outcome measures were induction-abortion interval, cost-effectiveness and thefrequency of side effects. Induction was considered successful where abortion was achieved within 24 hours. Results:The average induction-abortion interval in the misoprostol group was 16.09±9.38hours.Successful abortions wereachieved in 79.41 percent(27/34).Total failures were seven of 34 cases. In the PGF2" group, all women aborted within20.24±11.57 hours, 76.47 percent (26/34) of which aborted within 24 hours. Conclusion: The acceptable expulsiontime, clinically insignificant side effects and the abortion rate obtained, showed that misoprostol by vaginaladministration may be an alternative method for interrupting gestation of 10-28 weeks.