Vaginal misoprostol in termination of second trimester pregnancy

OBJECTIVE: To study the effectiveness and complications of 600 micrograms of intravaginal misoprostol for terminating second trimester pregnancies. STUDY DESIGN: One hundred and seventy-two patients undergoing termination of pregnancy between March 1997 and April 1999 were studied. Each patient received 600 micrograms of intravaginal misoprostol every 12 hours until abortion occurred. RESULTS: The mean induction to abortion time was 24.1 +/- 21.6 hours. The percentage of women aborting within 24 and 48 hours was 68.6 and 89.5 respectively. There was no significant difference in the mean induction to abortion time and the percentage of women aborted within 48 hours between nulliparous and multiparous women. The mean amount of misoprostol used was 1405.5 +/- 1084.6 micrograms. Incomplete abortion occurred in 23.3% of women. The most common complication was temperature of more than 38 degrees C occurred in 41% followed by diarrhoea (20%), nausea and vomiting (15%). CONCLUSION: Six hundred micrograms of vaginal misoprostol is effective, but whether the 48 hours abortion rate can be improved with a large dose or shortened the time interval between doses, requires further study.