Open AccessNo Abortion‐Inducing Effect of Tht Ulcer‐Healing Dosf the Synthetic Prostaglandin E 2 Analogue Enprostil In First Trimester
Author(s) -
Jacobson Jan,
Bergquist Christer,
Rydnert Jan,
Bokström Hans,
Huovinen Kari
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.3109/00016349009006158
Subject(s) - medicine , placebo , pregnancy , misoprostol , abortion , first trimester , obstetrics , vaginal bleeding , prostaglandin e2 , prostaglandin analogue , prostaglandin , randomized controlled trial , gynecology , gestation , surgery , genetics , alternative medicine , pathology , biology
Milligram‐range doses of E 2 prostaglandins have long been used to induce labor or abortion in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Enprostil, a synthetic dehydroprostaglandin E 2 structural analogue, is administered in microgram doses for the treatment of acute duodenal ulcer and acute gastric ulcer. This study examined the effect of the ulcer‐healing dose and twice the ulcer‐healing dose upon women in the first trimester of pregnancy. Two hundred and seven women who had requested legal abortion in the first trimester participated in two randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, parallel studies. They received two doses of enprostil 35 μg (the recommended dose for the treatment of duodenal and gastric ulcer) (n=51), 70 μg (twice the recommended dose) (n=53), or placebo (n = 103) 12 h apart. No drug‐induced abortions occurred in any of the first‐trimester pregnancies. Vaginal bleeding occurred in 4% of volunteers receiving the lower dose and 4% receiving the higher dose of enprostil. Vaginal bleeding occurred in up to 2% of volunteers on placebo. Although not recommended for pregnant women, if enprostil is given inadvertently to pregnant women with ulcers, it is unlikely to endanger the pregnancy during the first trimester.