Subject: A study of the effect of a single i.m. PGF2α injection in cervical ripening prior to suction & evacuation in early weeks (7-12) of pregnancy. Methods: Two hundred patients were selected randomly. The selection was restricted to the gestational period between 7 and 12 weeks. All these patients were hospitalized. A detailed history was taken and clinical examination was carried out to exclude any active respiratory, cardiac, renal, hepatic, epileptic and allergic disorders. Patient were divided into two groups- study groups consisted of 100 cases in whom 15 methyl- PGF2α (Carboprost tromethamine 250µg) given I.M. one hour prior to suction and evacuation & control group consisted of 100 patients were not administered any injection and cervix was dilated mechanically during suction & evacuation. Result: Most of the cases (86%) in study group show good cervical dilatation along with ripening. In 14% cases cervical dilatation was only of fair degree. Poor cervical dilatation was not seen in any of the cases. The patients who had good cervical dilatation were multiparous. However, there are two nulliparae who had good cervical dilatation. The patients who had only fair cervical dilatation in study group were nulliparous. No relation was seen between cervical dilatation and the age of the patient. Effect of prostaglandin on cervical dilatation at noted gestational period was more in multiparous compared to nulliparous patients. In control group all cases need mechanical dilatation depending on parity more or less .Conclusion: The use of mechanical dilatation and evacuation of the uterus in first trimester pregnancy termination can cause trauma to the cervix if performed after the 12th weeks of gestation. The present study shows that these complications can be avoided, if the patient is pretreated with prostaglandin prior to the vacuum aspiration. The injection- abortion interval of one hour is very convenient and fairly efficient. Success rate in terms of abortion achieved completely was 100 percent. Thus it seems suitable to adopt this regime as a routine method to be used in hospitals for termination of first trimester pregnancy.
