Effect of placenta previa on blood loss in second-trimester abortion by labor induction using gemeprost.

OBJECTIVES

The study was conducted to determine whether placenta previa increases bleeding during gemeprost-induced termination of second-trimester pregnancy.

METHODS

We carried out a retrospective study of 158 second-trimester terminations between 12 and 21 weeks' gestation. We compared the intraoperative blood loss among three groups: women without placenta previa undergoing gemeprost termination, women with placenta previa undergoing gemeprost termination and women with placenta previa undergoing dilatation and evacuation (D&E).

RESULTS

Eleven of 158 women (7.0%) had placenta previa; four underwent D&E and seven had gemeprost termination. There was no statistical difference in mean intraoperative blood loss among the three groups, although one of the seven women with placenta previa who underwent gemeprost termination developed serious bleeding requiring blood transfusion.

CONCLUSION

The use of gemeprost for second-trimester pregnancy termination in women with placenta previa seems to be relatively safe and does not increase intraoperative blood loss in the majority of cases.