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

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.

Inclusion criteria

• All patients admitted at the Gynecological emergency Unit at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre scheduled for uterine evacuation with <12 weeks of gestation.

Exclusion criteria

• patients who do not wish to participate in the project;
• patients with ectopic pregnancy;
• patients with comorbidities (heart failure congestive, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease);
• patients with hypovolemic shock;
• patients with cervical incompetence;
• patients with infected miscarriage/abortion (presence of fever, pus from the cervix, leukocytosis [> 14000]);
• patients with twin pregnancy;
• patients with Marfan syndrome;
• patients allergic to misoprostol;
• patients with coagulopathy;
• patients with opening of cervical internal os (4 mm of dilatation at the time of consultation);
• patients with previous surgery of the cervix (conization);
• patients with concomitant use of IUDs.