Abstract
Fourteen consecutive patients (mean gestational age 18.1 weeks, range 15-23 weeks) referred for therapeutic termination of pregnancy were induced into abortion by intra-amniotic PGF2α 40 mg followed by oxytocin stimulation. 14 other patients (mean gestational age 17.9 weeks, range 15-23 weeks) were pretreated with intracervical PGE2 1.0 mg in gel for 4 h prior to induction of abortion with intra-amniotic PGF2α 40 mg without further stimulation. The induction-abortion interval for patients treated with intra-amniotic PGF2α and oxytocin, was 19.1 ± 2.94 h (±SE, n=14) with a success rate of 80% after 24 h. After pretreatment with intracervical PGE2α 1.0 mg in viscous gel, intra-amniotic PGF2α 40 mg induced abortion after 11.2 ± 1.12 h (± SE, n = 14) with a 100% success rate after 24 h. No systemic side effects of the PGE2 pretreatment were noted. No cervical laceration was observed. The results need further confirmation, but still suggest cervical priming with intracervical PGE2 1.0 mg in gel and subsequent induction of abortion by intra-amniotic PGF2α 40 mg as an attractive principle for 2nd trimester abortion.