Vaginally administered prostaglandin E2 as a first and second trimester abortifacient.

One hundred women seeking interruption of pregnancy between 7-20 weeks were given prostaglandin E2 as a 20 mg vaginal suppository every four hours. Abortion was achieved within an arbitrary time limit of 36 hours in 97 patients and was complete in 76. Mean abortion intervals according to gestational length and parity ranged between 7.67 and 14.93 hours. Augmentive intravenous oxytocin, usually for placental expulsion, was given to 31 patients. Side-effects such as vomiting, diarrhea, and drug fever were encountered in the majority of patients but no sepsis was noted and no patient was transfused. The results are discussed with particular reference to other prostaglandin and hypertonic saline regimens for pregnancy interruption.