[Combined use of methotrexate and mifepristone for ectopic pregnancy management: a meta- analysis]

To evaluate the clinical effect and safety of combined use of methotrexate and mifepristone for treatment of ectopic pregnancy.

By searching in the major databases of CNKI, CBMdisk and Pubmed according to the criteria of evidence-based medicine, we collected data of randomized controlled trials pertaining to combined use of methotrexate and mifepristone in the treatment of ectopic pregnancy.

Twenty-three randomized controlled trials involving totally 1 706 patients were collected according to the inclusion criteria, and meta-analysis of the data indicated that combined use of methotrexate and mifepristone can be of great value in the management of ectopic pregnancy in comparison with exclusive use of methotrexate [ combined odds ratio (OR) was 2.84 with 95%confidence interval [CI] (2.18, 3.69), Z=7.79, P<0.000 01].

The clinical evidence derived from the analysis suggests that the combination of methotrexate and mifepristone for ectopic pregnancy management can be effective with good safety security and minimal side effects, but still, this conclusion needs further verification by randomized, double-blind, and controlled trials with larger sample size and more rigorous trial design.