Termination of pregnancy using extra-amniotic prostaglandin F2a--experience in a peripheral hospital

Extra-amniotic injection of prostaglandin F2a has proved to be an effective method of termination of pregnancy, although its use has been associated with serious complications including rupture of the uterus and maternal death. In this retrospective study of 45 patients who required termination of pregnancy in Eshowe Hospital for intra-uterine death or missed abortion two patients developed minor complications of this method. Forty four patients aborted between four hours 30 minutes and 18 hours 15 minutes after the injection. There was one patient who had a failed induction and who developed serious sepsis. It is not clear whether the sepsis was a result of the method used to induce labour or whether it was the primary pathology causing the intra-uterine death and failed induction.