Two regimens of misoprostol for treatment of incomplete abortions
Blanchard K, Taneepanichskul S, Kiriwat O, Sirimai K, Svirirojana N, Mavimbela N, Winikoff B. Two regimens of misoprostol for treatment of incomplete abortions. Obstetrics and Gynecology. May 2004; 103(5) part 1:860-865.
OBJECTIVES: Misoprostol shows promise for treatment of incomplete abortion. We evaluated 2 simple misoprostol regimens to estimate whether they were effective in treating incomplete abortion.
METHODS: A total of 169 women was randomly assigned to either a single or double dose of 600 microg misoprostol. The women, who would have received a surgical evacuation of the uterus for incomplete abortion, were patients at 2 hospitals in Bangkok, Thailand. The 2 groups of women were compared for success of treatment (no need for surgical evacuation), side effects, and acceptability.
RESULTS: Sixty-six percent of women in the single-dose group and 70% of women in the double-dose group had complete abortions with misoprostol. More than 90% of women in the single- and double-dose groups reported that the side effects were tolerable; frequency of side effects was similar between the 2 groups. Women found the treatment acceptable. Approximately 90% of women in both groups would recommend the treatment to a friend. Acceptability and efficacy were different at the 2 participating clinics.
CONCLUSION: Misoprostol is an effective treatment for incomplete abortion. Simple regimens may be as effective as more complicated ones and a single dose of 600 microg should be further evaluated in larger trials.