Low-dose vaginal misoprostol with or without Foley catheter for late second-trimester pregnancy termination in women with previous multiple cesarean sections

Purpose: To compare between low dose vaginal misoprostol with and without Foley catheter for late second trimester pregnancy termination in women with previous multiple cesarean sections.

Materials and methods: A prospective randomized controlled clinical trial, patients were randomly allocated to either low dose vaginal misoprostol group (n?=?40) or combined low dose vaginal misoprostol plus Foley catheter group (n?=?38). The primary outcome was complete abortion. Secondary outcomes were induction-to-abortion interval, the number of misoprostol doses and occurrence of complications.

Results: Incomplete abortion rate was significantly lower in combined group than misoprostol only group (2.6%versus 15% respectively, p?=?.03). Induction-to-expulsion interval with the combined vaginal misoprostol plus Foley catheter was significantly shorter (p?=?.01) and the number of misoprostol doses in the combined group was significantly lower (p?=?.04). No statistically significant difference in the frequency of complications between both groups.

Conclusions: The combination of low dose vaginal misoprostol and Foley catheter is an effective and safe method for termination of second trimester pregnancy in women with previous multiple cesarean sections.     

Comparison of intravaginal misoprostol and intracervical Foley catheter alone or in combination for termination of second trimester pregnancy

Objectives: To examine the effectiveness, safety and acceptability of intravaginal misoprostol and intracervical Foley catheter alone or in combination for termination of second trimester pregnancy.

Methods: This clinical study was conducted on 90 pregnant patients intended for termination of pregnancy between 13 and 24 gestational weeks for any indication. Enrolled women are equally allocated into three groups:

??Group I (Misoprostol group): a standard regimen of moistened misoprostol (400?μg) 4 hourly inserted vaginally.

??Group II (Catheter group): intracervical Foley catheter inserted, inflated and placed on traction.

??Group III (Combined group): intracervical Foley catheter inserted with a standard regimen of moistened misoprostol (400?μg) 4 hourly intravaginally was used.

Procedure efficacy (defined as complete abortion performed on site), safety and acceptability were assessed.

Results: The induction to abortion interval was 7.5?±?1.25?h in the combined group, compared to 11.76?±?1.63?h in the misoprostol group and 19.76?±?1.52?h in the catheter group (p value?Conclusions: The present results confirmed the high success rate with the shortest induction to abortion interval with a combined use of intracervical Foley catheter and misoprostol for termination of second trimester pregnancy.     

Misoprostol versus cervagem for the induction of labour to terminate pregnancy in the second and third trimester: a systematic review

AIMS: to compare the benefits and harms of misoprostol to induce labour in the second and third trimester of pregnancy with cervagem. METHODS: MEDLINE was searched using the terms abortion, induced; abortifacient agents; pregnancy, second trimester; pregnancy, third trimester; misoprostol; cervagem; and gemeprost to identify randomised controlled trials in which misoprostol was compared with cervagem, for induction of labour to terminate pregnancy in the second or third trimester. Outcomes included vaginal birth not achieved within 24h; induction to delivery interval; analgesia requirements; blood loss; blood transfusion; surgical evacuation of the uterus; maternal death or serious maternal morbidity; side effects. RESULTS: Six randomised trials were included. Five compared vaginal misoprostol with cervagem [el Refaey H, Hinshaw K, Templeton A. The abortifacient effect of misoprostol in the second trimester: a randomized comparison with gemeprost in patients pre-treated with mifepristone (RU486). Hum Reprod 1993;8(10):1744-6; Ho PC, Chan YF, Lau W. Misoprostol is as effective as gemeprost in termination of second trimester pregnancy when combined with mifepristone: a randomised comparative trial. Contraception 1996;53(5):281-3; Nuutila M, Toivonen J, Ylikorkala O, Halmesmaki E. A comparison between two doses of intravaginal misoprostol and gemeprost for induction of second trimester abortion. Obstetr Gynecol 1997;90(6):896-900; Wong KS, Ngai CS, Wong AY, Tang LC, Ho PC. Vaginal misoprostol compared with vaginal gemeprost in termination of pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial. Contraception 1998;58(4):207-10; Dickinson JE, Godfrey M, Evans SF. Efficacy of intravaginal misoprostol in second trimester termination of pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial. J Mater Fetal Med 1999;7(3):115-9], and one oral misoprostol with gemeprost [Bartley J, Baird DT. A randomised study of misoprostol and gemeprost in combination with mifepristone for induction of abortion in the second trimester of pregnancy. Br J Obstetr Gynaecol 2002;109(11):1290-4]. Vaginal misoprostol compared with cervagem was associated with reduced narcotic analgesia (3 studies, 169 women, RR 0.64 95% CI 0.49-0.84), and surgical evacuation of the uterus (5 studies, 319 women, RR 0.71 95% CI 0.53-0.95). No other statistically significant differences were observed for other outcomes with reported data. In the single trial comparing oral misoprostol with gemeprost, reported outcomes were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Vaginal misoprostol for the termination of second and third trimester of pregnancy appears as effective as cervagem, but information about maternal safety is limited.     

Frequent low-dose misoprostol for termination of second-trimester pregnancy

Objectives?To determine the efficacy of an application regimen of low-dose frequent misoprostol for second-trimester pregnancy termination.

Methods?A total of 250 women between 12 and 20 weeks of gestation who were scheduled for second-trimester pregnancy termination received 200?μg vaginal misoprostol followed by 100?μg oral misoprostol every 2?h until expulsion of the fetus. Mechanical cervical dilatation with a 16-French Foley balloon catheter was performed if no cervical dilatation was observed after 24?h. The main outcome measures were the delivery rate within 24?h and the factors influencing the interval between the onset of induction and abortion. Secondary outcome measures were the side-effects of the regimen and the total misoprostol dose required.

Results?With application of this protocol, 245 women (98%) delivered within 24?h of induction. The mean (± standard deviation) misoprostol dose used was 728?±?297?μg (200–2100?μg). Cox regression analysis revealed that vaginal spotting or nulliparity do not effect the induction–abortion time. On the other hand, using this regimen induction to abortion time tends to be longer in the presence of live fetuses (odds ratio (OR)?=?0.45; confidence interval (CI)?=?0.2–0.8; p?=?0.008) and pregnancies with gestational age >?16 weeks (OR?=?0.59; CI?=?0.4–0.8; p?=?0.003) when compared with cases of in utero death and pregnancies with a gestational age of 12–13 weeks, respectively. Twenty-seven women (10.8%) experienced one or more side-effects attributable to misoprostol.

Conclusion?The 100-μg oral misoprostol every 2?h following 200?μg vaginal misoprostol is a highly effective protocol for inducing abortion at 12–20 weeks of pregnancy. Cases with live fetuses or pregnancies with older gestational age (>?16 weeks) deliver in a longer time period.     

Sublingual vs vaginal misoprostol for completion of first trimester missed abortion: a randomised controlled trial

Objective: The study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of sublingual and vaginal misoprostol for termination of pregnancy in women with first trimester missed abortion.

Methods: A single-blind, parallel group, randomised clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02686840) was conducted in a university hospital between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017. All women who presented with first trimester missed abortion were invited to participate in the study and were randomised to one of two groups: one group received sublingual misoprostol in three doses of 800?μg every 4?h, while a second group received vaginal misoprostol in the same dosage regimen. The primary outcome of the study was the rate of complete abortion within 7 days after initiation of treatment.

Results: The study included 200 women (100 in each arm). By day 7, successful complete abortion was significantly more frequent in the sublingual misoprostol group (71.4%) than in the vaginal misoprostol group (51.5%) (p?=?.006). By day 30, the rate of complete abortion was higher in the sublingual misoprostol group (90.6%) than in the vaginal misoprostol group (83.9%), but with no statistically significant difference (p?=?.164). The mean length of the induction–expulsion interval in the sublingual misoprostol group was significantly shorter compared with the vaginal misoprostol group (12.3?±?3.1?h vs 16.4?±?4.2?h, respectively; p?=?.001) and the sublingual misoprostol group had a smaller drop in haemoglobin level (p?=?.001). The side effects of misoprostol were significantly more frequent in the sublingual group compared with the vaginal group.

Conclusion: Sublingual misoprostol is more effective than vaginal misoprostol in completing first trimester missed abortion, with a shorter induction–expulsion time. Sublingual misoprostol is, however, associated with more side effects, such as unpleasant taste, gastrointestinal symptoms and fever, compared with vaginal misoprostol.     

Second trimester medical abortion in a woman with prior classical caesarean section and a uterine leiomyoma – A case report

Abstract

Background Medical abortion in women with the scar of a classical caesarean section (CS) and a large uterine leiomyoma is rarely attempted; it carries the risk of uterine rupture and haemorrhage.

Case A 34-year-old multiparous woman with prior classical CS and a 14 × 10 × 9 cm leiomyoma arising from the uterine isthmus had an induced abortion at 14 weeks’ gestation. Mechanical cervical priming with Dilapan^®-S followed by vaginal misoprostol administration resulted in the uncomplicated expulsion of the uterine contents.

Conclusions An early second trimester medical abortion with misoprostol was successfully performed in a woman with prior classical CS and a large uterine leiomyoma.     

Uterine packing versus Foley’s catheter for the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage secondary to bleeding tendency in low-resource setting: A four-year observational study

Objective: To assess the effectiveness and safety of uterine packing versus Foley’s catheter tamponade for controlling postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) secondary to bleeding tendency after vaginal delivery.

Methods: This was a prospective observational study conducted on 92 patients with primary PPH due to bleeding tendency following vaginal delivery who were unresponsive to uterotonics and bimanual compression of the uterus. Patients were divided into two groups, Uterine packing group (n?=?45) and Foley catheter group (n?=?47). The primary outcome was the success rate of the procedure. Secondary outcome addressed the maternal complications.

Results: The use of uterine packing resulted in stoppage of active bleeding in 93.3% of cases compared to only 68.1% in the Foley’s catheter group (p?p?>?0.05). Six cases who failed to Foley catheter tamponade underwent emergency hysterectomy with no cases in the uterine packing group.

Conclusions: The use of uterine packing to arrest PPH is simple, quick and safe procedure to avoid further surgical interventions and to preserve the fertility in low-resource setting.     

Second trimester medical abortion with mifepristone followed by unlimited dosing of buccal misoprostol in Armenia

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy and acceptability of a regimen using mifepristone and buccal misoprostol with unlimited dosing for second trimester abortion in Armenia.

Methods: Women seeking to terminate 13–22 week pregnancies were enrolled in the study. Participants swallowed 200?mg mifepristone in the clinic and were instructed to return to the hospital for induction 24–48?h later. During induction, women were given 400?μg buccal misoprostol every 3?h until the fetus and placenta were expelled. The abortion was considered a success if complete uterine evacuation was achieved without oxytocin or surgery.

Results: A total of 120 women with a median gestational age of 18 weeks participated in the study. All women began misoprostol induction around 24?h after taking mifepristone. Complete uterine evacuation was achieved in 119 (99.2%) women. The median induction-to-abortion interval was 10.3?h (range 4–17.4) with a mean of 9.5?±?2.5?h. A median of four misoprostol doses (range 2–6) with a mean of 4?±?1 misoprostol doses were administered. The induction-to-abortion interval, number of misoprostol doses, pain score and analgesia use increased as gestational age advanced. Acceptability of the method was high among both patients and providers.

Conclusion: The medical abortion regimen of 200?mg mifepristone followed 24?h later by induction with 400?μg buccal misoprostol administered every 3?h, with no limit on the number of doses used for the termination of pregnancies of 13–22 weeks’ gestation is an effective and acceptable option for women.     

Misoprostol for midtrimester termination of pregnancy in women with 1 or more prior cesarean deliveries

ObjectiveTo evaluate the safety and efficacy of vaginal misoprostol for midtrimester termination of pregnancy (TOP) in women with 1 or more prior cesarean deliveries (CDs).MethodsA retrospective study was conducted with 279 women undergoing TOP with vaginal misoprostol between 14 and 26 weeks of gestation. Of these, 193 had no uterine scars (group 1), 60 had 1 prior CD (group 2), and 26 had 2 or more prior CDs (group 3). The primary outcome was the success rate of TOP. Secondary outcomes were time from induction to abortion, total dose of misoprostol used, and occurrence of uterine rupture.ResultsThe success rates were 96.4% in group 1, 81.7% in group 2, and 76.9% in group 3 (P = 0.001). Time from induction to abortion, total dose misoprostol, and duration of hospital stay differed significantly among the groups (P = 0.001 for all variables). There were 3 cases (11.5%) of uterine rupture in group 3, for an overall rate of 1.1%.ConclusionMisoprostol inserted vaginally was effective for midtrimester TOP but the safety of using misoprostol in women with 2 or more prior CDs cannot be confirmed from the present study. Misoprostol should be used carefully, particularly in women with 2 or more prior CDs.     

Misoprostol versus misoprostol and foley catheter combination in 2nd trimester pregnancy terminations

Objective: The efficacy and safety were assessed of a misoprostol regimen used alone or in combination with foley catheter for second trimester pregnancy termination.

Methods: A retrospective examination was made of the records of patients who underwent pregnancy termination at 14–24 weeks of gestation in our university hospital between January 2011 and June 2014. Records were available for patients 378 who underwent terminations. Group 1 comprised patients with no history of cesarean section. An initial dose of 200?μg misoprostol was administered intravaginally and then until the termination was completed an additional 200 μgr dose was administered sublingually every 4 hours (Group 1: 234 patients). Group 2 comprised patients with a history of cesarean section. An initial dose of 200 μg misoprostol was administered intravaginally and 2 hours later an intracervical foley catheter was inserted (Group 2: 144 patients).

Results: The total misoprostol dosage used was 1160 μg and 560 μg (p<?0.001), intervals from the administration of the first misoprostol tablet until termination were 854.8 and 704.2 minutes (p=?0.03) in Groups 1 and 2, respectively.

Conclusions: The misoprostol?+?foley catheter combination reduces the total dosage of misoprostol required for termination and shortens the termination interval, thereby increasing patient’s comfort. Based on these results, the usage of the misoprostol?+?foley catheter combination can be recommended especially for patients with a history of caesarian section.     

A randomized trial comparing vaginal misoprostol versus Foley catheter with concurrent oxytocin for labor induction in nulliparous women

The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of intracervical Foley catheter with concurrent use of oxytocin versus vaginal misoprostol for labor induction in nulliparous women. Nulliparous women with Bishop score <6 who presented for labor induction were randomized to either 25 microg vaginal misoprostol every 4 hours followed by oxytocin, if indicated, or intracervical Foley catheter with simultaneous use of oxytocin. Among the 162 patients enrolled, 79 (49%) received misoprostol and 83 (51%) received Foley/oxytocin. We were unable to demonstrate a statistically significant difference between the misoprostol group and Foley/oxytocin group in the incidence of cesarean delivery (35% versus 29%; p = 0.37). The induction-to-delivery time was significantly shorter in the Foley/oxytocin group (18 versus 24 hours; p < 0.01). No differences in intrapartum complications, neonatal outcomes, or maternal morbidity were found. When compared with vaginal misoprostol, intracervical Foley catheter combined with oxytocin has a similar efficacy and safety profile for labor induction in nulliparous women. Foley/oxytocin results in a shorter induction-to-vaginal delivery time compared with misoprostol.     

Acceptability and feasibility of 400 μg buccal misoprostol after 200 mg mifepristone for early medical abortion in Georgia

Objectives: The aim of the study was to examine the acceptability and feasibility of early medical abortion using 200?mg mifepristone and 400?μg buccal misoprostol in Georgia, outside the capital city of Tbilisi.

Methods: A total of 622 women in four regions of western and eastern Georgia who presented for termination of pregnancy at up to 63?d of gestation were enrolled in the study. In the western regions, women took one 200?mg pill of mifepristone in the clinic and were given the option of administering 400?μg misoprostol buccally, either at the clinic or at home, 24–48?h later. In the eastern region, women were given the option to take both drugs at home. Abortion status was determined 2 weeks after mifepristone administration.

Results: Ninety-five percent of participants had a successful abortion. Twenty-one percent of women in the eastern region elected to take mifepristone at home; nearly all participants in both regions (98%) chose to take misoprostol at home. Ninety-five percent of women were very satisfied or satisfied with the method, and 95% said they would prefer medical abortion for a future procedure.

Conclusions: Medical abortion with mifepristone and 400?μg buccal misoprostol is an acceptable and feasible option for women in Georgia, outside the capital city of Tbilisi.     

Mifepristone and second trimester pregnancy termination for fetal abnormality in Western Australia: Worth the effort

Objective:  To determine the impact on the process of second trimester medical termination for fetal abnormality following the introduction of adjunctive mifepristone in an Australian tertiary hospital.
Methods:  All second trimester medical terminations for fetal abnormality between July 2006 and June 2009 were prospectively identified. Two temporal therapeutic cohorts were created: the first (1 July 2006 to 31 December 2007) using vaginal misoprostol alone and the second (1 January 2008 to 30 June 2009) using mifepristone priming prior to the administration of misoprostol. The primary outcome was to evaluate the impact of mifepristone priming upon the duration of pregnancy termination.
Results:  During the study period, 388 women with prenatally recognised fetal anomalies between 14 and 24 weeks gestation underwent medical termination: 189 with misoprostol alone and 199 with mifepristone priming followed by misoprostol. There was no difference between the groups for maternal age, parity or prior caesarean delivery. The median abortion duration was 15.5 h (interquartile ranges (IQR) 11.2–22.7) in the misoprostol group and 8.6 h (IQR 5.6–13.8) in the mifepristone primed group ( P  < 0.001). In both the groups, nulliparity and advancing gestation were associated with a significant prolongation of the abortion interval. Duration of hospitalisation was significantly longer in the misoprostol alone group (31.5 h (27–48.9) vs 27.2 h (22–31.5), misoprostol vs mifepristone priming, respectively, P  < 0.001).
Conclusions:  The introduction of mifepristone priming prior to second trimester medical termination with misoprostol has resulted in a significant reduction in the duration of the termination procedure and length of inpatient stay. These observed benefits of mifepristone provide objective support for the decision to permit use of this medication in Australia.     

Comparing vaginal misoprostol versus Foley catheter plus vaginal isosorbide mononitrate for labor induction

Objective(S): To compare the effectiveness and safety of intra-cervical Foley catheter combined with intra-vaginal isosorbide mononitrate (IMN) versus intra-vaginal misoprostol for cervical ripening and labor induction in pregnant women with unripe cervices.

Methods: Open-labeled randomized controlled trial in Cairo university hospital, Cairo, Egypt during 2012–2014. Three hundred and ninety-five pregnant women at term or post-term with an indication for labor induction and unripe cervix were included in the study. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups. Vaginal misoprostol was used in group 1 (n?=?197) and intra-cervical Foley catheter plus vaginal IMN in group 2 (n?=?198). Our main outcome measure was cesarean section rate.

Results: Among the 395 included patients there were significantly lower duration of induction of labor (p?<?0.001) in group 1with lower cesarean section rates [22.8% in group 1versus 33.3% in group 2; RR 0.7 (0.6–0.9), (p?=?0.020)]. Whereas the uterine hyperstimulation (p?<?0.001) was significantly higher in group 1. There were no significant differences between both groups as regard patients’ demographic characteristics.

Conclusions(s): Vaginal misoprostol is more effective but less safe than Foley catheter combined with vaginal IMN for induction of labor in term and post-term pregnancy.     

Second trimester abortion in women with and without previous uterine scar: Eleven years experience from a developing country

ABSTRACT

Objectives To study the safety of second trimester abortion in women with previous uterine scar.

Methods We screened the records of 518 women who underwent an abortion between 12 and 20 weeks’ gestation at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, from January 2000 to December 2010. Methods used for abortion were: (i) vaginal misoprostol with or without pre-treatment with mifepristone, and (ii) intracervical dinoprostol gel or vaginal misoprostol ± extra-amniotic saline ± oxytocin infusion. Seventeen women, aborted by means of a hysterotomy, were excluded from further analysis.

Results Of the remaining 501 women, 44 had a uterine scar (Group 1) and 457 had none (Group 2). In Group 1, 40/44 (91%) and in Group 2, 452/457 (99%) women aborted successfully. The mean induction-abortion interval (IAI) was similar in the two groups (15.03 ± 10.69 hours and 12.52 ± 9.0 hours in Groups 1 and 2, respectively; p = 0.083). There were three uterine ruptures, 1/44 (2%) in group 1 and 2/457 (0.4%) in group 2 (p = 0.132, NS); all three women had received mifepristone followed by vaginal misoprostol.

Conclusion In women with a scarred uterus, midtrimester abortion may be successfully achieved using any of the aforementioned regimens.     

Frequent low-dose misoprostol for termination of second-trimester pregnancy.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy of an application regimen of low-dose frequent misoprostol for second-trimester pregnancy termination. METHODS: A total of 250 women between 12 and 20 weeks of gestation who were scheduled for second-trimester pregnancy termination received 200 microg vaginal misoprostol followed by 100 microg oral misoprostol every 2 h until expulsion of the fetus. Mechanical cervical dilatation with a 16-French Foley balloon catheter was performed if no cervical dilatation was observed after 24 h. The main outcome measures were the delivery rate within 24 h and the factors influencing the interval between the onset of induction and abortion. Secondary outcome measures were the side-effects of the regimen and the total misoprostol dose required. RESULTS: With application of this protocol, 245 women (98%) delivered within 24 h of induction. The mean (+/-standard deviation) misoprostol dose used was 728+/-297 microg (200-2100 microg). Cox regression analysis revealed that vaginal spotting or nulliparity do not effect the induction-abortion time. On the other hand, using this regimen induction to abortion time tends to be longer in the presence of live fetuses (odds ratio (OR) = 0.45; confidence interval (CI) =0.2-0.8; p=0.008) and pregnancies with gestational age > 16 weeks (OR= 0.59; CI = 0.4-0.8; p= 0.003) when compared with cases of in utero death and pregnancies with a gestational age of 12-13 weeks, respectively. Twenty-seven women (10.8%) experienced one or more side-effects attributable to misoprostol. CONCLUSION: The 100-microg oral misoprostol every 2 h following 200 microg vaginal misoprostol is a highly effective protocol for inducing abortion at 12-20 weeks of pregnancy. Cases with live fetuses or pregnancies with older gestational age (> 16 weeks) deliver in a longer time period.     

A randomized comparison of mifepristone and self-administered oral or vaginal misoprostol for early abortion

In France, mifepristone in association with orally administered misoprostol is widely used for the early termination of pregnancy (up to 49 days' gestation). In other centers, mifepristone in association with vaginally administered misoprostol has also been used. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy and tolerance of mifepristone in association with misoprostol administered orally or vaginally for the termination of pregnancy of up to 49 days' gestation.

A total of 237 women were enrolled in the study. All women received 600 mg mifepristone administered orally and 400 μg misoprostol administered either orally (n = 119) or vaginally (n = 118). A second dose of 400 μg misoprostol was administered if women had not expelled the pregnancy within 3 h. Women were randomized into treatment groups according to the day of their admission.

The overall success rate was 98.7% and there was no significant difference in efficacy between the two groups. There was one treatment failure in the group in which misoprostol was administered orally. Of those women who aborted within 3 h of administration of the first dose of misoprostol, the route of administration of misoprostol did not influence the time to abortion. Of the women who received a second dose of misoprostol, the time to abortion was shorter in those who received misoprostol orally (52 min versus 77 min).

Tolerance was assessed by visual analog scales and was similar for both groups. In both groups, women preferred the oral route of administration.     

A randomised trial of two regimens of vaginal misoprostol to manage termination of pregnancy of up to 16 weeks

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and side-effects of two regimens of vaginal misoprostol for pregnancy termination of up to 16 weeks. METHODS: A randomised clinical trial of medical pregnancy termination of up to 16 weeks was conducted. A hundred pregnant women requesting legal termination of pregnancy were randomised into two groups to receive either 200 microg (50 women) or 400 microg (50 women)--vaginal misoprostol every six hours up to four doses. Outcome of abortion and side-effects were assessed. RESULTS: The groups were similar in maternal age, gestational age, parity and indication for pregnancy termination. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in abortion (P = 0.084) and mean induction to abortion time (P = 0.35). However, the side-effects in the 400 microg group were significantly higher than in the 200 microg group (P = 0.000). Conclusion: In pregnancy termination of up to 16 weeks, 200 microg vaginal misoprostol every six hours up to four doses was as effective as 400 microg, but side-effects were more common in 400 microg regimen.     

Effect of fetal diagnosis on the outcomes of second-trimester pregnancy termination for fetal abnormalities: A pilot study

Objective. To explore whether the outcomes of second-trimester pregnancy termination for fetal abnormalities are affected by fetal diagnoses.

Methods. This was a retrospective review of cases undergoing second-trimester pregnancy termination for the fetal diagnoses of hemoglobin Barts, trisomy 21, and trisomy 18 during the period from 1999 to 2006. The affected pregnancies were terminated by vaginal misoprostol. The outcome measures were: (1) abortion within 24 hours after misoprostol commencement, (2) histology-confirmed incomplete abortion, and (3) experience of significant side effects during termination (temperature over 39°C or need for metoclopramide for vomiting).

Results. One hundred and twenty cases were available for analysis. After adjusting for maternal age, parity, history of cesarean delivery, body mass index, gestation, and fetal hydrops, pregnancy termination for trisomy 21 was associated with a higher risk of incomplete abortion than trisomy 18 and hemoglobin Barts (odds ratio 5.25, 95% confidence interval 1.24–22.19, p = 0.024). The chance of abortion within 24 hours and experience of significant side effects were not found to be associated with fetal diagnosis.

Conclusions. Pregnancy termination for trisomy 21 is associated with a higher risk of incomplete abortion. Fetal diagnosis affects the outcome of pregnancy termination.     

Cervical ripening: A randomized comparison between intravaginal misoprostol and an intracervical balloon catheter combined with intravaginal dinoprostone

OBJECTIVES: Our purpose was to compare the efficacy of intravaginal misoprostol and intracervical Foley catheter/intravaginal dinoprostone for cervical ripening. STUDY DESIGN: Patients admitted for induction of labor were randomized to receive intravaginal misoprostol 25 μg every 4 hours or intracervical Foley catheter/intravaginal dinoprostone 4 mg every 4 hours. Patients not entering active labor and having ruptured membranes or arrest of dilatation received intravenous oxytocin. RESULTS: Sixty-five patients received Foley catheter/dinoprostone gel and 62 patients received misoprostol. The mean time until cervical ripening was less in the catheter/gel group (7.5 ± 3.4 vs 12.0 ± 5.9 hours, p < 0.01). The mean time until vaginal delivery was less in the catheter/gel group (17.4 ± 6.9 vs 21.2 ± 7.5 hours, p = 0.004). Among vaginal deliveries, more patients in the catheter/gel group delivered within 24 hours (90% vs 69%, p = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Intracervical Foley catheter/intravaginal dinoprostone was associated with more rapid cervical ripening, shorter induction to vaginal delivery interval, and greater number of vaginal deliveries within 24 hours. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1998;178:1333-40.)