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Methods of Midtrimester Abortion: Which Is Safest?
Author(s) -
Grimes David A.,
Schulz Kenneth F.,
Cates Willard,
Tyler Carl W.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1002/j.1879-3479.1977.tb00673.x
Subject(s) - medicine , abortion , obstetrics , saline , products of conception , gynecology , gestation , pregnancy , anesthesia , genetics , biology
In the United States, the three principal methods of abortion for patients at 13 or more menstrual weeks' gestation are intraamniotic instillation of saline or prostaglandin F 2 α (PGF 2 α ) and dilatation and evacuation (D&E). The relative safety of these methods, however, has not been established. This report compares the three methods using data on 17467 abortions collected by the Joint Program for the Study of Abortion under the auspices of the Center for Disease Control (JPSA/CDC). Abortion by D&E was found to be significantly safer than abortion by saline instillation (p<0.001), and abortion by saline instillation was significantly safer than by PGF 2 α (p<0.01). Moreover, midtrimester D&E is both safe and practical; it is a direct and rapid procedure which can be performed on an outpatient basis. Although PGF 2 α accelerated the time required for abortion, it also significantly increased serious morbidity.