Management of the third stage of labor in pregnancies terminated by prostaglandin E2.

In the management of second-trimester medical terminations of pregnancy, it is a commonly accepted practice to allow 2 hours for the third stage of labor. This practice is based on data from terminations with saline solution as the abortifacient. Herein we report our experience with the use of prostaglandin E2 vaginal suppositories for midtrimester terminations, with particular regard to placental delivery rates and associated complications. Ninety-six patients underwent prostaglandin E2 vaginal suppository terminations. Fifty-eight percent of patients had spontaneous placental delivery within 2 hours of the passage of the fetus; approximately two thirds of these were expelled within 30 minutes. Previous work involving elective saline solution-induced terminations suggested the 2-hour time limit for the third stage of labor. This was based on an unacceptable complication rate of greater than 4% beyond 2 hours. The present study of the use of prostaglandin E2 suppositories for a variety of indications demonstrated a similar complication rate of 4% at 30 minutes. These findings suggest expectant management beyond this time limit may produce unacceptably high complication rates.