Authors:
Henry A-M. Haukkamaa M.
Institution
Dr. M. Haukkamaa, Helsinki City Maternity Hospital, Sofianlehdonkatu 5 A,
FIN-00610 Helsinki; Finland.
Title:
Comparison of vaginal misoprostol and gemeprost as pre-treatment in first trimester pregnancy interruption. (1999 2704)
Source:
British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Vol 106(6) (pp40-543), 1999.
Abstract:
Objective. To compare the effectiveness of vaginal misoprostol pre-treatment with standard gemeprost pre-treatment in first trimester pregnancy termination. Design. A prospective randomised study. Population. One hundred and ninety-nine women scheduled for day case termination of pregnancy during the first trimester. Methods. Cervical priming with a vaginally applied 200 mug tablet of misoprostol for at least four hours, compared with a 1.0 mg vaginal suppository of gemeprost for at least three hours before vacuum aspiration. Main outcome measures. The prostaglandin effect on baseline cervical dilatation was the main outcome. Others were occurrence of pre-operative pain and need for analgesia, pre-operative side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, presence of blood in the vagina and blood loss during the operation.
Results:
There was no significant difference in the dilatation ability of misoprostol or gemeprost, nor in the pre-operative use of analgesics. The Frequency of nausea and diarrhoea was significantly less common in the misoprostol treated women. Conclusions. Vaginally applied misoprostol is as effective as gemeprost in cervical priming prior to first trimester vacuum aspiration. Misoprostol was associated with fewer side effects than gemeprost.
Please click on the required question.
- 1 What does the term abortion mean?
- 2 What are the legal criteria that permit doctors to terminate a pregnancy in the UK?
- 3 How could we tell if there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped - e.g. Down Syndrome?
- 3A What is Tay Sachs and should we test for it?
- 4 How prevalent is pregnancy termination?
- 5 Why do unwanted pregnancies occur?
- 6 I think I may be pregnant and I do not want to have a baby now. What should I do?
- 7 Should I terminate my pregnancy for social reasons?
- 8 How can my pregnancy be terminated?
- 9 What does a suction (surgical) termination of pregnancy involve?
- 10 What is a medical abortion?
- 11 What will happen to me if I have a medical abortion?
- 12 How do medical and surgical pregnancy termination compare?
- 13 What are the chances of medical termination failing?
- 14 What are the risks of pregnancy termination?
- 15 Why is there debate about the ethics of pregnancy termination?
- 16 Support Groups.
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