STUDIES ON 15(S)15 METHYL PGF_2α BY INTRAMUSCULAR ROUTE FOR SECOND TRIMESTER ABORTION (THREE HOURLY SCHEDULE)

A multicentre study was undertaken to study the intramuscular 15(S)-5 methyl PGF_2α (Prostin 15M, Upjohn) for induction of second trimester abortion. The patients were premedicated with Imodium and Perinorm for control of gastrointestinal side effects. Prostin 15M was given 250 µg every three hours and the progress was assessed before each injection. If there was no progress at the end of 10 injections the case was classified as a failure. Sixty-two patients were recruited for the study, 24 were primigravidae and 38 multigravidae. Twenty-three out of 24 primigravidae and 34 out of 38 multigravidae aborted with the treatment. The mean induction abortion interval in the primigravidae was 23.5 hours while it was 18.0 hours in the multigravidae. The mean number of vomitings was 2.9 and that of diarrhoea 5.0. The overall incidence of incomplete abortion was only 10.5%.