Dataset Information

Efficacy of Misoprostol Alone for First-Trimester Medical Abortion: A Systematic Review.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:To summarize available data on the effectiveness and safety of single-agent misoprostol for medical abortion in the first trimester. DATA SOURCES:We searched MEDLINE, CABI, Cochrane, EMBASE, LILACS, the Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov for English-language studies that evaluated misoprostol alone for abortion of a viable pregnancy in the first trimester. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION:Our search yielded 1,562 citations, of which 38 included data from 53 trial groups that met our inclusion and exclusion criteria. TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS:We abstracted data about each trial group, including study characteristics, treatment regimen, clinical protocol, number of women treated and followed, and numbers with outcomes of interest. We used meta-analytic methods and logistic regression to examine factors associated with surgical intervention after treatment. Among all 12,829 evaluable women, 2,536 (meta-analytic estimate 22.0%, 95% CI 18.8-25.5%) had surgical uterine evacuation. Multiple factors were significantly associated with this proportion, including misoprostol amount per dose and route of administration, loss to follow-up rate, publication date, geographic region, number of misoprostol doses, duration of dosing, and time between dosing and evaluation. Of 6,359 evaluable women, 384 (meta-analytic estimate 6.8%, 95% CI 5.3-8.5%) had ongoing pregnancies. At most 26 of 12,184 evaluable women (meta-analytic estimate 0.7%, 95% CI 0.4-1.0%) were transfused or hospitalized for abortion-related reasons. In trials that provided satisfaction data, most women were satisfied or very satisfied with the treatment (meta-analytic estimate 78%, 95% CI 71-85%). CONCLUSIONS:Misoprostol alone is effective and safe and is a reasonable option for women seeking abortion in the first trimester. Research is indicated to further refine the regimen and to establish efficacy in the late first trimester. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION:PROSPERO, CRD42018083589.

SUBMITTER: Raymond EG

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6309472 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Efficacy of Misoprostol Alone for First-Trimester Medical Abortion: A Systematic Review.

Raymond Elizabeth G EG Harrison Margo S MS Weaver Mark A MA

Obstetrics and gynecology 20190101 1

<h4>Objective</h4>To summarize available data on the effectiveness and safety of single-agent misoprostol for medical abortion in the first trimester.<h4>Data sources</h4>We searched MEDLINE, CABI, Cochrane, EMBASE, LILACS, the Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov for English-language studies that evaluated misoprostol alone for abortion of a viable pregnancy in the first trimester.<h4>Methods of study selection</h4>Our search yielded 1,562 citations, of which 38 included data from 53 trial gr ...[more]

PMID: 30531568

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundA wide range of drugs have been studied for first trimester medical abortion. Studies evaluating different regimens, including combination mifepristone and misoprostol and misoprostol alone regimens, show varying results related to safety, efficacy and other outcomes. Thus, the objectives of this systematic review were to compare the safety, effectiveness and acceptability of medical abortion and to compare medical with surgical methods of abortion ≤63 days of gestation.MethodsPubmed and EMBASE were systematically searched from database inception through January 2019 using a combination of MeSH, keywords and text words. Randomized controlled trials on induced abortion at ≤63 days that compared different regimens of medical abortion using mifepristone and/or misoprostol and trials that compared medical with surgical methods of abortion were included. We extracted data into a pre-designed form, calculated effect estimates, and performed meta-analyses where possible. The primary outcomes were ongoing pregnancy and successful abortion.ResultsThirty-three studies composed of 22,275 participants were included in this review. Combined regimens using mifepristone and misoprostol had lower rates of ongoing pregnancy, higher rates of successful abortion and satisfaction compared to misoprostol only regimens. In combined regimens, misoprostol 800 μg was more effective than 400 μg. There was no significant difference in dosing intervals between mifepristone and misoprostol and routes of misoprostol administration in combination or misoprostol alone regimens. The rate of serious adverse events was generally low.ConclusionIn this systematic review, we find that medical methods of abortion utilizing combination mifepristone and misoprostol or misoprostol alone are effective, safe and acceptable. More robust studies evaluating both the different combination and misoprostol alone regimens are needed to strengthen existing evidence as well as assess patient perspectives towards a particular regimen.

Project description:ImportanceMisoprostol-alone regimens for abortion may be more effective than previously thought.ObjectiveTo estimate the effectiveness of medication abortion with misoprostol alone among individuals self-managing their abortion.Design, setting, and participantsFor this prospective observational cohort study of callers to safe abortion hotlines and accompaniment groups in Argentina, Nigeria, and Southeast Asia, participants were recruited between July 31, 2019, and October 1, 2020, prior to starting their medication abortion. Eligible participants were 13 years or older, had no contraindications to medication abortion, and were not currently bleeding. Participants completed a baseline and 2 follow-up surveys. The analysis was restricted to participants who reported using misoprostol alone and was performed between January 6, 2022 and September 8, 2023.ExposureSelf-managed medication abortion using misoprostol alone.Main outcomes and measuresThe primary outcome was effectiveness, defined as participant self-report of complete abortion without procedural intervention, measured at 1 week and 3 weeks after taking misoprostol. Secondary outcomes included method safety, measured by self-report of experiencing warning signs (eg, heavy bleeding, pain, fever, discharge) indicative of a potential complication and by medical treatment (eg, blood transfusion, intravenous fluids, overnight hospital stay) indicative of a potential adverse event. Additional outcomes included length of bleeding and cramping, time to expulsion, and experience of adverse effects.ResultsAmong 1352 enrolled participants, 637 used misoprostol-alone regimens for abortion and were included in the analysis (591 [92.8%] from Nigeria, 45 [7.1%] from Southeast Asia, and 1 [0.2%] from Argentina; 384 [60.2%] aged 20-29 years; 317 [49.8%] with pregnancy durations <7 weeks and 205 [32.2%] with pregnancy durations between 7 and <9 weeks). At last follow-up after taking medication (median, 22 days; IQR, 21-26 days), 625 participants (98.1%; 95% CI, 96.7%-98.9%) had a complete abortion without procedural intervention. Potential adverse events were reported by 6 participants (0.9%; 95% CI, 0.4%-2.1%). Most participants experienced bleeding for less than 1 week (median, 4 days; IQR, 3-6 days) and expelled their pregnancy within 24 hours of starting the abortion process (median, 12 hours; IQR, 9-15 hours). Common side effects included nausea (335 participants [52.6%]), fever (232 [36.4%]), and diarrhea (181 [28.4%]).Conclusions and relevanceThe findings suggest that misoprostol alone is a highly effective method of pregnancy termination. Future research should explore strategies to maximize the effectiveness of misoprostol alone in clinical and nonclinical settings.

Project description:BackgroundTraditionally the gold-standard technique for the treatment of spontaneous abortion has been uterine evacuation by aspiration curettage. However, many studies have proposed medical treatment with misoprostol as an alternative to the conventional surgical treatment. The aim of this study was to apply cost minimization methods to compare the cost and effectiveness of the use of vaginal misoprostol as a medical treatment for first trimester spontaneous abortion with those of evacuation curettage as a surgical treatment.Methodology/principal findingsWe present a longitudinal, prospective and quasi-experimental research study including a total of 547 patients diagnosed with first-trimester spontaneous abortion, in the period from January 2013 to December 2015. Patients were offered medical treatment with 800 mg vaginal misoprostol or evacuation curettage. Patients treated with misoprostol were followed-up at 7 days and a transvaginal ultrasound was performed to confirm the success of the treatment. If it failed, a second dose of 800 mg of vaginal misoprostol was prescribed and a new control ultrasound was performed. In case of failure of medical treatment after the second dose of misoprostol, evacuation curettage was indicated. The effectiveness of each of the treatment options was calculated using a decision tree. The cost minimization study was carried out by weighting each cost according to the effectiveness of each branch of the treatment. Of the 547 patients who participated in the study, 348 (64%) chose medical treatment and 199 (36%) chose surgical treatment. The overall effectiveness of medical treatment was 81% (283/348) and surgical treatment of 100%. The estimated final cost for medical treatment was € 461.92 compared to € 2038.72 for surgical treatment, which represents an estimated average saving per patient of € 1576.8.Conclusions/significanceMedical treatment with misoprostol is a cheaper alternative to surgery: in the Spanish Public Healthcare System, it is five times more inexpensive than curettage. Given its success rates higher than 80%, mild side effects, controllable with additional medication and the high degree of overall satisfaction, it should be prioritized over the evacuation curettage in patients who meet the treatment criteria.

Dataset Information

Efficacy of Misoprostol Alone for First-Trimester Medical Abortion: A Systematic Review.

Publications

Efficacy of Misoprostol Alone for First-Trimester Medical Abortion: A Systematic Review.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets