A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE EFFICACY OF VAGINAL PROSTAGLANDIN WITH EXTRAAMNIOTIC BOUGIE IN SECOND TRIMESTER MEDICAL TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Abortion refers to the deliberate ending of a pregnancy prior to the point where the foetus is capable of surviving outside the womb. Due to its simplicity, safety, and effectiveness, medical abortion is increasingly preferred over invasive procedures and anaesthesia in many centres. It has successfully replaced the use of bougie in most regions, with a high effectiveness reaching up to 95%.
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess the comparative effectiveness of vaginal misoprostol and extra amniotic bougie (EAB) in the second trimester abortion in the areas of induction abortion interval, complete abortion rate as well as the success of outcome in these methods.
METHODOLOGY: The study was carried out on a sample of 50 female patients who were undergoing second trimester abortions and receiving outpatient care in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department at Vinayaka Mission’s Kirupanandavariyar Medical College and Hospital in Salem. The patients were randomly assigned into two groups. The first group had 25 patients who were given an initial dosage of 400 mcg of misoprostol, followed by 200 mcg every 4 hours for a maximum of 5 doses administered vaginally. The second group of 25 patients underwent termination via extra amniotic bougie insertion.
RESULTS: The majority of cases who received misoprostol had an induction abortion duration of less than 12 hours. On the other hand, the majority of cases who received EAB had a mean duration of more than 48 hours. The likelihood of a successful abortion was markedly greater in the group that took misoprostol compared to the group that received EAB. The incidence of complications was reduced in the group of patients who received EAB as compared to those who took misoprostol.
CONCLUSION: Of the cases that were administered misoprostol, 64% experienced complete abortion, while 36% experienced incomplete abortion. Conversely, among the cases that received EAB, only 36% achieved complete abortion, while 64% experienced incomplete abortion. It was noted that the likelihood of incomplete abortion was significantly higher in cases that received EAB alone.