Cervical dilatation with sulprostone prior to vacuum aspiration. A two-dose, randomized study.

In the article are presented the results of a randomized study comparing the efficiency and tolerance of 250 micrograms or 500 micrograms of 16-phenoxy-omega-17, 18,19,20-tetranor-PGE2 methyl sulfonylamide (Sulprostone) as a pretreatment to vacuum aspiration for termination of pregnancy in the 8th to 12th week of gestation. Two-hundred patients, mainly nulliparous, received either 250 micrograms or 500 micrograms Sulprostone intramuscularly three hours prior to vacuum aspiration. The patients were continuously supervised during treatment and during at least three hours after the operation. Side-effects and analgesic injections administered were recorded. At operation the degree of cervical dilatation, amount of blood loss and other operative complications were registered. Both doses of Sulprostone administered three hours prior to vacuum aspiration were equally effective in dilating the cervix and controlling the peroperative blood loss in late first trimester abortion patients. When the dose was doubled from 250 to 500 micrograms, no significant further dilatation of the cervix was achieved. Instead, there was an increase in the frequency of gastro-intestinal side-effects and the need for analgesic injection for relief of painful uterine contractions.