Mid-trimester abortion using prostaglandin E2 gel.

Nineteen cases of mid-trimester pregnancy were terminated using prostaglandin E2 gel applied intracervically. In this prospective study, 42% were primipara with gestational age at the time of abortion between 16 and 28 weeks. The induction to abortion time was 19.65 +/- 10.37 h with a success rate of 89%. The average number of applications was 1.8 times (range 1-3 times) and the average dosage of prostaglandin required was 5.5 mg (range 3-9 mg). The complications were minimal except retained placenta in 42% of cases. Prostaglandin E2 in form of gel applied intracervically is an effective alternative to the commonly used hypertonic saline or, more recently, to prostaglandin analogues for termination of pregnancy in the second trimester.