The safety of misoprostol alone use for second-trimester termination of pregnancy in women with previous caesarean deliveries

Abstract

Purpose To investigate the safety of misoprostol use in second-trimester pregnancy termination among women with previous caesarean sections. Materials and methods This is a retrospective cohort study conducted in a tertiary centre, examining 359 patients whose pregnancy was terminated with misoprostol alone between 14 and 24 weeks with the indication of foetal anomalies. Two dose regimens were administered vaginally or sublingually: (1)400 mcg misoprostol every 3–6 h; (2) 200 mcg misoprostol every 3–6 h following a loading dose of 400 mcg. The patients were divided into three groups according to the number of previous caesarean sections (CSs) and compared in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics and complications. Termination-related complications were the primary outcomes considered. Results Of the 217 patients, 80 (36.8%) had no previous uterine scar, 79 (36.4%) had one previous CS, and 58 (26.7%) had at least two prior CSs. The overall complication rate was 0.9%. There were no differences among groups in terms of complications (p > 0.05). There was no difference in complications in women with prior CS when they were compared according to the misoprostol regimens used (p > 0.05). The total dose of misoprostol used ranged from200 to 3,600 mcg. The treatment success of misoprostol during the second trimester was 92.1%. According to regression analysis, an increase in the week of gestation increased the failure rate of misoprostol for inducing second-trimester abortion by 2.7 times (95%CI (1.38–5.39)). Conclusion Misoprostol alone is a safe and effective option for terminating second-trimester pregnancies with one or more previous CSs in settings where mifepristone is unavailable.