Experience with the induction of second-trimester abortion by extra-amniotic physiological saline infusion. Report of 127 cases

In 127 women with normal second-trimester pregnancy we induced abortion by extra-amniotic (EA) physiological saline infusion. All women aborted within 72 h, most of them during the first 24 h. Besides a transient fever in one case, no complications or sideeffects were recorded. This method is safe and cheap, and entirely without contraindications. Therefore, it may be used in cases when other methods would have been dangerous or failed. As for the mechanism of action of this method, it is probably by the secretion of intrinsic prostaglandins, produced by the decidual cells. But this hypothesis remains to be proved.