Misoprostol 400 µg Versus 200 µg for Cervical Ripening in 1st Trimester Miscarriage

Overview

Local current protocol for cervical ripening in 1st trimester miscarriage recommends 400 µg of misoprostol intravaginally 3 hours before uterine evacuation. This regime has been recommended by some international guidelines . So far, there are no recent studies comparing cervical dilatation between 400 µg of misoprostol and a reduced dose (e.g., 200 µg) for 6 hours. If cervical ripening is similar between these two regimens(i.e., 200µg regimen is not inferior to 400µg regimen), costs reductions and lower side effects may be issued without losing quality of cervix dilatation.

Miscarriage is defined by the World Health Organization as the interruption of the pregnancy up to 20-23 weeks, or the products of pregnancy weighing less than 500 grams (1). Nearly 15% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, especially in the first 12 weeks. Estimates indicate that 68000 women die worldwide each year, as a result of unsafe abortions. Abortions are the major cause of maternal death, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean. In cases of retained and incomplete abortions, uterine emptying is recommended. In the first trimester of pregnancy, either pharmacological or surgical procedure is accepted according to international guidelines. Pharmacological treatment for uterine evacuation includes the administration of mifepristone and misoprostol or misoprostol alone. Nevertheless, surgical methods have been shown a greater acceptability and patient satisfaction due to a reduced incidence of adverse effects. Currently, Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA) is the technique recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health and the Brazilian Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. MVA should be performed after cervical ripening. This pre-surgical procedure makes the procedure safer and more effective. In Brazil, misoprostol is the most suitable drug to be used in these cases because of its efficacy, ease of use, low cost, stability at room temperature, and availability. Misoprostol is a synthetic prostaglandin E1 analog and can be administered by oral, sublingual, buccal, rectal, and vaginal routes.