Pilot study on the use of sublingual misoprostol in termination of pregnancy up to 7 weeks gestation

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to assess the efficacy and incidence of side effects of a regimen of repeated doses of 400 microg sublingual misoprostol for termination of pregnancy of <7 weeks gestation. METHOD: Fifty women were given 400 microg sublingual misoprostol every 3 h for three doses. Two additional doses were given if necessary. RESULTS: Forty-three women (86%) had a complete abortion. Two women (4%) had incomplete abortion and 5 (10%) had an ongoing pregnancy. The median interval between the first dose of misoprostol and the passage of tissue mass was 14.1 h (3.25-561.6 h). The median duration of vaginal bleeding was 20 days (8-85 days). Side effects were mild and there was no significant drop in hemoglobin level. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary results on sublingual misoprostol show that it is a promising method for medical termination of pregnancy of <7 weeks. It may be used as an alternative for women who do not want surgical evacuation and who live in an area where mifepristone is not available.