Contraception
Volume 81, Issue 4 , Pages 323-327, April 2010

Two medical abortion regimens for late first-trimester termination of pregnancy: a prospective randomized trial☆

Department A of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tunisian Maternity and Neonatology Center, Rabta, Tunis 2000, Tunisia

Received 14 August 2009; received in revised form 23 November 2009; accepted 3 December 2009. published online 15 January 2010.

Abstract 

Background

Medical abortion regimens based on the use of either misoprostol alone or in association with mifepristone have shown high efficacy and excellent safety profile in early pregnancy abortion. However, no clear recommendation is available for late first-trimester termination of pregnancy.

Study Design

A prospective randomized controlled trial included 122 women seeking medical abortion at 9 to 12 weeks of gestation. Seventy-three patients were given a fixed protocol of 200 mg of mifepristone followed 48 h later by 400 mcg oral misoprostol (Group 1). The second group of 49 patients was administered 800-mcg intravaginal single-dose misoprostol (Group 2). This study sought to compare safety, efficacy and acceptability of these two nonsurgical abortion regimens.

Results

Fifty-nine (80.8%) women in Group 1 had complete abortion vs. 38 (77.4%) women in Group 2 (p=.66). Abdominal pain was observed significantly more often in Group 2 (35/49 (71.4%) vs. 32/73 (43.8%) in Group 1, p<.0001. Medical abortion was equally acceptable among the two groups [37/49 (75.5%) and 55/73 (75.7%), p=.89].

Conclusion

For late first-trimester termination, a single 800-mcg vaginal dose of misoprostol seems to be as effective as the mifepristone+misoprostol regimen, with acceptable side effects.

Keywords: Medical abortion, Misoprostol, Mifepristone, Late first trimester

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☆ The study was funded by the National Board of Family and Population.

PII: S0010-7824(09)00520-4

doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2009.12.002

Refers to erratum:

  • Erratum to “Two medical abortion regimens for late first-trimester termination of pregnancy: a prospective randomized trial” [Contraception 2010;81:323–7] , 31 May 2010

    Dalenda Chelly, Ines Najar, Fathia Boudaya, Malika Affes, Bechir Zouaoui, Ezzeddine Sfar, Hela Chelly, Mohamed Badis Channoufi
    Contraception August 2010 (Vol. 82, Issue 2, Page 217)

Contraception
Volume 81, Issue 4 , Pages 323-327, April 2010

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