The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

5062.0: Wednesday, November 13, 2002 - 10:00 AM

Abstract #50156

Misoprostol for the Treatment of Incomplete Abortion

Jennifer Blum, MPH1, Surasak Taneepanichskul, MD2, Orawan Kiriwat Siriraj, MD3, M Korokot, MD2, Andrew Weeks, MD4, Godfrey Alia, MD4, Kelly Blanchard, MSc5, Nucharee Srivirojana1, and Beverly Winikoff, MD, MPH1. (1) Population Council, One Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, New York, NY 10017, 212 339 0614, jblum@popcouncil.org, (2) Chulalongkorn University, Rama IV Road, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand, (3) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Family Health Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand, (4) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda, (5) Reproductive Health, Population Council, One Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, New York, NY 10017

Misoprostol has shown considerable promise for the treatment of incomplete abortions. Yet the existing literature is small and difficult to interpret because of varying regimens and few comparative trials. We conducted two studies to better establish the safety and efficacy of misoprostol for treatment of incomplete abortions. In Thailand (n=200), we compared the effectiveness and acceptability of a single 600 mcg oral dose with two 600 mcg oral doses taken four hours apart. Preliminary analysis (n=80), demonstrate that the single (70%; n=40) and repeat dose treatments (69%; n=39) are similarly effective. In a similar study conducted in Uganda (n=400), we compared the efficacy and acceptability of a single 600 mcg oral dose of misoprostol to manual vacuum aspiration (standard of care).

Our presentation will include details of our findings at the two sites, including efficacy, acceptability, and side effects experienced by women in the different study groups. We are pleased to report that preliminary results demonstrate that misoprostol is a safe and effective method for treatment of incomplete abortions. Additionally, treatment with misoprostol may result in fewer complications and prove less expensive than the standard surgical treatment and may therefore be a preferable method. Additional larger-scale studies are necessary to identify an ideal regimen that is most acceptable for women.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Post-Abortion Care, Reproductive Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Improving Postabortion Care Services

The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA