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Sublingual misoprostol for management of empty sac or missed miscarriage: The first two years’ experience at a metropolitan Australian hospital
Author(s) -
Mcgee Therese M.,
Diplock Hayley,
Lucewicz Ania
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.734
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1479-828X
pISSN - 0004-8666
DOI - 10.1111/ajo.12481
Subject(s) - misoprostol , medicine , miscarriage , products of conception , obstetrics , curettage , pregnancy , gestational age , abortion , gynecology , surgery , genetics , biology
Background Misoprostol management of miscarriage is only now becoming widely used in Australia. Aims To review the efficacy, safety and the popularity of outpatient sublingual misoprostol in empty sac/missed miscarriage management over its first two years of availability in a metropolitan Australian hospital. Materials and methods A retrospective cohort review was undertaken of women choosing sublingual misoprostol 600 μg (three tablets) × three doses for miscarriage management. Principal outcomes assessed were miscarriage resolution without the need for curettage and complications. Additionally, the relative popularity of misoprostol versus surgery by place of birth and over time, and the return of pregnancy tissue for histology were analysed. Results Between 1 December 2012 and 30 November 2014, 279 women chose sublingual misoprostol for nonurgent miscarriage management, while 420 chose surgery (40 and 60%, respectively). Of the misoprostol cohort, 269 had complete data; 239 of 269 (88.8%) had resolution without curettage, nine (3.3%) had acute curettage, 21 (7.8%) had nonacute curettage, 30 (11.15%) had unplanned emergency department presentation, 11 (4.1%) had unplanned admission, three (1.1%) had blood transfusion and one (0.4%) had an infection requiring admission. Misoprostol was as popular with Australian‐born as overseas‐born women; 53.5% of patients returned histopathology specimens; one (0.7%) demonstrated partial hydatidiform mole. Conclusions Outpatient management of missed/empty gestational sac miscarriage using sublingual misoprostol is associated with a high rate of avoiding curettage and the low rate of complication. It is equally popular with Australian‐born and overseas‐born women. Just over 50% returned pregnancy tissue for analysis.