INDUCTION OF ABORTION WITH MIFEPRISTONE AND MISOPROSTOL IN EARLY-PREGNANCY

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of the combination of mifepristone and an orally active prostaglandin, misoprostol, for early medical termination. Design Women with amenorrhoea less-than-or-equal-to 56 days were given 200 mg mifepristone. 48 h later, 600 mug misoprostol was given orally. Setting Medical Termination Unit, Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion, Edinburgh. Subjects 100 women requesting medical termination of pregnancy. Interventions Evacuation of uterus for incomplete abortion or on-going pregnancies. Results One woman had an incomplete abortion prior to administration of misoprostol. 92 (93%) out of 99 women had complete abortion following administration of misoprostol. There were three on-going pregnancies (3.0%, 95% confidence limits (CL) 0.6-8.6) and four incomplete abortions with this regimen (4.0%, 95% CL 1.1-10.0). 24% women vomited and 7% had diarrrhoea following administration of misoprostol. 62% did not require any analgesia. Conclusions The combination of misoprostol with mifepristone is inexpensive, simple, effective, noninvasive and an acceptable alternative to current regimens for medical termination.