[Priming and medical abortion induction by PGF2 alpha]

In the Dept. of Obstetrics of the Gera district hospital prostaglandin F2 alpha has been applied for priming and therapeutic abortion since 1979. A total of 600 women, among them 482 primigravidae, 47 with missed abortion and 71 having been admitted on behalf of the abortion panel's decision, underwent therapeutic abortion. Age distribution, clinical course, unwanted side effects and early complications after intracervical-extraamnial instillation of 5 mg prostaglandin F2 alpha have been investigated. Application of prostaglandin F2 alpha can be considered the method of choice in particular when therapeutic abortion is indicated in younger women or in patients showing suspect findings in cervical smear cytology.