WORLD-HEALTH-ORGANIZATION STUDIES OF PROSTAGLANDINS VERSUS SALINE AS ABORTIFACIENTS - REAPPRAISAL

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • review article
    • Vol. 52  (4) , 493-498
Abstract
The WHO Task Force on the Use of Prostaglandins for the Regulation of Fertility sponsored a series of randomized clinical trials and case-series investigations to assess the effectiveness and safety of prostaglandins as abortifacients. Reanalysis of the WHO studies found the prostaglandins to be faster and more hazardous than hypertonic saline as intraamniotic abortifacients. Studies by the Center for Disease Control imply that dilatation and evacuation (D and E) may be more effective, safe, convenient and inexpensive than prostalgandins for abortions after 12 wk gestation, especially in the 13-16 wk interval. For gestations of .gtoreq. 17 wk, the occurrence of live births in prostaglandin-induced abortions has produced serious legal and ethical problems in the USA. Until the effectiveness and safety of other prostaglandins regimens approach that of D and E, D and E should be the index of comparison against which newer methods of inducing abortion are tested.