Experience with 16-phenoxy-omega-tetranor-PGE2-methylsulfonamide (sulprostone) for termination of second trimester...

A new PGE2-analogue (Sulprostone) was administered extraamniotically or intramuscularly for termination of 70 second trimester pregnancies (13-20 weeks gestation). When the extraamniotic route was used, the 24-hr success rate rose from 27.3 to 67.7 percent by increasing the dose from 25 to 100 micrograms. Gastrointestinal side effects were not recorded with doses up to 50 micrograms. At 100 micrograms, the average number of episodes of nausea or vomiting were 0.29 and 0.26, respectively. Repeated intramuscular injections of 500 micrograms (3 or 4 times) at 3-hourly intervals did not improve the success rate compared with a 100 micrograms extraamniotic dose, but the average number of episodes of nausea or vomiting increased to 0.9 and 1.0, respectively. The success rate was too low with the doses and administration routes used.