[The use of prostaglandins to perform terminations of pregnancy in the second trimester (author's transl)].

The authors report 48 cases of termination of pregnancy between the 12th and the 20th week using prostaglandins. Two methods were used: An injection of 40 mg of Prostaglandin F2 alpha (1) intra-amniotically: used on 38 women in group i. 10 patients had 5 mg of 15 (S) 15 methylprostaglandin F2 alpha administered vaginally in group ii. In the first group all women aborted with a mean induction expulsion time of 16 hours and 20 minutes. In the second group 9 women aborted with a mean time of 14 hours and 2 minutes. Side effects were very marked in the second group, whereas they seemed to be acceptable in the first group.