Prostaglandins second-trimester abortion

F. Role in therapy According to Micromedex, oxytocin is routinely used for the induction of labor at term and postpartum for the control of uterine bleeding. Oxytocin is not the drug of choice for induction of labor for abortion. Oxytocin infusion has been used following prostaglandin or hypertonic abortifacients to shorten the induction to abortion time when inducing second-trimester abortion, inducing abortion when a patient has failed to respond to the abortifacient, or to induce abortion after membranes have ruptured. 

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is an agent used to ripen the cervix for the induction of labor (it is also used for second-trimester abortion) and shows various beneficial effects ... 

Himmelmann, A., Myhrman, P. and Svan-berg, S. G. (1975) Induction of second trimester abortion. Comparison between rivanol and prostaglandin F, (or) regarding time factors and complications. Contraception, 12,645. 

Of special interest is the unique effect of prostaglandins to induce abortion in the first and second trimester of pregnancy [99,100], and various prostaglandin analogues have now been developed that increase efficiency and reduce side effects when employed as abortifaeients [101 104],... 

In human medicine, prostaglandin p2a is used for the induction of therapeutic and elective abortions, and for the induction of labour, either alone or in conjunction with other drugs such as oxytocin. Abortion with prostaglandins may involve relatively late abortion (second trimester to early third trimester). They are used for similar purposes in animal... 

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