Methods of Midtrimester Abortion: Which Is Safest?

In the United States, the three principal methods of abortion for patients at 13 or more menstrual weeks' gestation are intraamniotic instillation of saline or prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) and dilatation and evacuation (D&E). The relative safety of these methods, however, has not been established. This report compares the three methods using data on 17467 abortions collected by the Joint Program for the Study of Abortion under the auspices of the Center for Disease Control (JPSA/CDC). Abortion by D&E was found to be significantly safer than abortion by saline instillation (p<0.001), and abortion by saline instillation was significantly safer than by PGF2α (p<0.01). Moreover, midtrimester D&E is both safe and practical; it is a direct and rapid procedure which can be performed on an outpatient basis. Although PGF2α accelerated the time required for abortion, it also significantly increased serious morbidity.

[1]  G. Stroh,et al.  Reported live births following induced abortion: two and one-half years' experience in Upstate New York. , 1976, American journal of obstetrics and gynecology.

[2]  D. Edelman,et al.  A comparative study of intra-amniotic saline and two prostaglandin F2alpha dose schedules for midtrimester abortion. , 1976, American journal of obstetrics and gynecology.

[3]  J. Spire,et al.  Electroencephalographic changes following intraamniotic prostaglandin F2 alpha administration for therapeutic abortion. , 1976, Obstetrics and gynecology.

[4]  F. Zuspan,et al.  Second trimester abortion. A symposium by correspondence. , 1976, The Journal of reproductive medicine.

[5]  T. Dillon,et al.  Second trimester abortions. Review of four procedures. , 1975, New York state journal of medicine.

[6]  W. Brenner,et al.  Reduction of cervical resistance by prostaglandin suppositories prior to dilatation for induced abortion. , 1975, American journal of obstetrics and gynecology.

[7]  K. Wilson,et al.  Comparison of prostaglandin F2alpha and hypertonic saline for induction of midtrimester abortion. , 1974, American journal of obstetrics and gynecology.

[8]  D. Edelman,et al.  Dilatation and evacuation at 13 to 15 weeks' gestation versus intra-amniotic saline after 15 weeks' gestation. , 1974, Contraception.

[9]  E. Bostofte,et al.  A COMPARISON OF TERMINATION OF PREGNANCIES IN THE 2nd TRIMESTER INDUCED BY INTRAAMNIOTIC INJECTION OF HYPERTONIC SALINE, PROSTAGLANDIN F2α OR BOTH DRUGS , 1974, Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica. Supplement.

[10]  A. Korda,et al.  Convulsions and electroencephalogram abnormalities after intra-amniotic prostaglandin F2a. , 1973, Lancet.

[11]  O. Miettinen,et al.  Standardization of risk ratios. , 1972, American journal of epidemiology.

[12]  S. Lewit Joint Program for the Study of Abortion (JPSA): Early Medical Complications of Legal Abortion , 1972 .

[13]  J. Ullman,et al.  Experience and complications with the use of hypertonic intra-amniotic saline solution. , 1971, Surgery, gynecology & obstetrics.

[14]  D. R. Davies,et al.  A Field Test for the Assay of Human Whole-blood Cholinesterase , 1955, British medical journal.