Abortion, ‘therapeutic

Physiological responses to prostaglandins encompass a variety of effects Some prostaglandins relax bronchial muscle others contract it Some stimulate uterine con tractions and have been used to induce therapeutic abortions PGEj dilates blood vessels and lowers blood pressure it inhibits the aggregation of platelets and offers promise as a drug to reduce the formation of blood clots... 

The triptans are considered specific therapies in that they target the pathophysiology underlying migraine.33 They abort headache through beneficial effects on neuronal imbalances.11 Triptans inhibit neurotransmission in the trigeminal complex and activate serotonin lb/Id pathways that modulate nociception in the brain stem. They also decrease the release of vasoactive peptides leading to vascular reactivity and pain.34 Triptans are a welcome addition to the therapeutic armamentarium in that they are available in intranasal, subcutaneous, and oral... 

Rubella Immune globulin (IM) 0.55 mL/kg IM. Nonimmune pregnant women exposed to rubella who will not consider therapeutic abortion. Administration does not prevent rubella in the fetus of an exposed mother. 

Fishburne JI Jr, Brenner WE, Braaksma JT, Hendricks CH. Bronchospasm complicating intravenous prostaglandin F 2a for therapeutic abortion. Obstet Gynecol 1972 39(6) 892-6. 

Developmental Effects. Based on the existing information, it is not known whether silver causes developmental toxicity in humans. No studies were found concerning developmental effects in humans after exposure to silver. However, a human study by Robkin et al. (1973) did investigate the possibility of a relationship between the concentration of this heavy metal in the tissue of fetuses and the occurrence of developmental abnormalities. These authors reported that the concentration of silver in the fetal liver of 12 anencephalic human fetuses was higher (0.75 0.15 mg/kg) than the values from 12 fetuses obtained either through therapeutic abortions (0.23 0.05 mg/kg), or in 14 spontaneously aborted fetuses (0.21 0.05 mg/kg). The concentration in 9 premature infants was 0.68 0.22 mg/kg. The authors could not determine if the higher concentrations of silver in anencephalic fetuses were associated with the malformation, or with fetal age. 

Several times each year, I receive phone calls or e-mail from women who have been advised to terminate their pregnancy after receiving only a few X-rays, some of which do not even image the uterus. Many medical personnel continue to fear that all fetal radiation exposure is harmful, and they inappropriately recommend therapeutic abortion. Before making this recommendation, medical personnel must perform a fetal dose calculation or ask a knowledgeable medical physicist or health physicist to perform these calculations. No recommendation to terminate a pregnancy should be made until these calculations have been performed and evaluated by a competent medical physicist or health physicist. 

PGEj dinoprostone (used as cervical and vaginal gel to induce labour and for late therapeutic abortion). 

In 184 pregnancies exposed to dextromethorphan (128 exposures in the first trimester) there were 172 hve births, 10 spontaneons abortions, one therapeutic abortion, and one stillbirth (23). There were three major malformations and seven minor malformations in the children of women who had nsed dextromethorphan in the first trimester. In the control group there were 174 live births, 8 spontaneous abortions, and 2 therapeutic abortions there were 5 major and 18 minor malformations. This small study did not show that dextromethorphan used during pregnancy increases the rates of major malformations above the expected baseline rate of 1-3%. 

Quinine crosses the placenta and can be found in relatively high concentrations in cord blood it is also excreted in the breast milk. Data about possible teratogenicity related to the therapeutic use of malaria are scanty (SEDA-14, 239). Hypoplasia of the optic nerve and deafness have been reliably described in children born after failure to induce abortion with the drug. 

Women of child-bearing age should take steps not to become pregnant while taking thalidomide, for example by using rehable contraception. If a woman taking thalidomide misses a menstrual period, thalidomide should be withdrawn for at least 9 weeks (120). Counseling about therapeutic abortion will be necessary. 

Other legislation that may impact upon therapeutic products includes the Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1977, the Toxic Substances Act 1979, the Toxic Substances Regulations 1983 and the Dietary Supplements Regulations 1983. 

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