Efficacy of concurrent administration of mifepristone and misoprostol for termination of pregnancy

Abstract

In this prospective randomized parallel group study, subjects with a pregnancy of less than 63 d were randomized to receive either (i) 200 mg oral mifepristone plus 400 μg misoprostol per vaginally concurrently (group A); (ii) or the administration of misoprostol after 48 h (group B). Transvaginal sonography was performed on the 14th day of misoprostol administration to confirm complete abortion. The primary outcome was to compare the rates of complete abortion in two groups. Secondary outcomes were to compare induction abortion interval, side effects and compliance. A total of 200 subjects included in the study were randomized into groups A and B (100 each). Both the groups were comparable for age, parity, gestational age and history of previous abortion. The complete expulsion rate in group A was 96% (95% confidence interval (CI) 95.1-98.2%) and group B was 95% (95% CI 93.0-96.8%) (p > 0.100). A gestational age of more than 56 d was found to predict failure of treatment in both groups. The adverse effect profile in the two groups was the same. Efficacy of concurrent mifepristone and misoprostol in combination is similar to that when misoprostol is given 48 h later (ctri.nic.in CTRI/2010/091/001422).

Keywords: Medical abortion; medical termination of pregnancy; mifepristone; misoprostol.