Fariha Altaf, Nadra Sultana, Naila Iqbal.
Therapeutic abortions; efficacy of intra-vaginal Misoprostol in comparison to extra amniotically administered Prostaglandin F2a.
Professional Med J Jan ;13(3):417-22.

Objectives: The study was conducted to compare intravaginal misoprostol with extra amniotic prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2a) for labour induction in therapeutic abortions from 10-28 weeks gestation. Design: A prospective study experimental. Setting At Military Hospital, Rawalpindi. Period: From March–December 2002. Materials & Methods: 68 patients with indications for therapeutic termination. Groups were assigned through non-probability convenient sampling procedure. In one group 200µg of misoprostol in the form of Tab Arthrotec 50 was administered every two hours up to three doses. Other group of patients had received extra-amniotic PGF2a solution. Main outcome measures were induction-abortion interval, cost-effectiveness and the frequency of side effects. Induction was considered successful where abortion was achieved within 24 hours. Results: The average induction-abortion interval in the misoprostol group was 16.09+9.38hours.Successful abortions were achieved in 79.41 percent(27/34).Total failures were seven of 34 cases. In the PGF2a group, all women aborted within 20.24+11.57 hours, 76.47 percent (26/34) of which aborted within 24 hours. Conclusion: The acceptable expulsion time, clinically insignificant side effects and the abortion rate obtained, showed that misoprostol by vaginal administration may be an alternative method for interrupting gestation of 10-28 weeks.

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