The effect of syntocinon on blood loss during first trimester suction curettage

We have studied 64 pregnant women (9 weeks gestation and greater undergoing elective vaginal termination of pregnancy). They were allocated randomly to one of two groups to receive either 1 ml (10 units) of syntocinon or 1 ml of saline (placebo) after cervical dilatation. Anaesthesia was standardised and surgery was performed by a single blinded gynaecologist, who assessed the size of the uterus and graded uterine contractility. All patients received a Cervagem vaginal suppository 70-270 min before surgery. The volume of blood loss was calculated colorimetrically and found to be less than 100 ml in all patients. The median blood loss in the syntocinon group (n = 30) was 17.6 ml, (range 6.1-72.7) and was significantly less than that in the placebo group (n = 34), median blood loss 24.5 ml, (range 6.7-94.3) (p = 0.02). Six patients in the saline group had unsatisfactory uterine contraction compared with none in the syntocinon group (p = 0.025).