An outpatient regimen of combined oral mifepristone 400 mg and misoprostol 400 microg for first-trimester legal medical abortion.

AIM: To evaluate the success rate of medical abortion using an outpatient regimen of oral mifepristone 400 mg and oral misoprostol 400 microg for legal abortion in women < 56 days pregnant.

METHODS

Successful abortion was defined as an endometrial thickness < 20 mm evaluated by transvaginal ultrasound and minimal vaginal bleeding at a control examination performed 14 days after administration of misoprostol. Over a 6-month period in 2003, a questionnaire (completion rate 70%) was used for a spot check of the patients' evaluation of the method.

RESULTS

Six hundred and sixty women underwent the procedure over a 3-year period and 606 (92%) experienced successful medical abortion. The remaining 8% had vacuum aspiration performed mainly due to uterine retention (70%). Other reasons were vaginal bleeding (25%), vomiting (2%), or pelvic infection (4%). Most women reported no days with severe pain (67%), 0--1 days with moderate pain (82%), and 0--1 days with light pain (62%). In terms of gastrointestinal side effects, 68% reported nausea, 33% vomiting, and 27% diarrhea. Most women (90%) felt that the information given at the hospital prior to the abortion was sufficient, 74% would prefer medical abortion again in case of a future unwanted pregnancy, and 85% would prefer to abort at home again.

CONCLUSION

A high acceptance and success rate was seen using this outpatient oral regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol.