Efficacy and safety of mifepristone and buccal misoprostol versus buccal misoprostol alone for medical abortion.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of mifepristone and buccal misoprostol versus buccal misoprostol alone in medical abortion of ≤56 days.

STUDY DESIGN

One hundred pregnant women having gestational age ≤56 days were randomized to group A and group B. In group A, patients received 200 mg mifepristone on day 1, followed by buccal misoprostol 800 µg on day 2, and in group B patients received 800 µg buccal misoprostol only on day 1.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Complete abortion was the principal outcome measure. Secondary outcome measures were side-effects and acceptability.

RESULTS

Forty-six (92%) patients in group A and 37 (74%) patients in group B aborted successfully (p value 0.017). Four (8%) patients in group A and eight (16%) patients in group B had incomplete abortion with retained products of conception. In group B, three (6%) patients had missed abortion and two (4%) patients had continued pregnancy whereas none of the patients in group A had missed abortion or continued pregnancy. The overall method acceptance was 100% whereas the overall route acceptance was 83%.

CONCLUSION

Misoprostol-alone regimen is a low-cost regimen as compared to mifepristone/misoprostol regimen. Though the efficacy of mifepristone followed by buccal misoprostol is better, buccal misoprostol alone can be used for termination of pregnancy in patients where mifepristone is either unavailable or contraindicated.