Intra-amniotic injection of oxytetracycline hydrochloride for termination of mid-trimester pregnancy

Seventy-eight women underwent induced mid-trimester abortion. Fifty-two women aborted after an intra-amniotic injection of 1 g oxytetracycline hydrochloride. The control group comprised 16 women who received an intra-amniotic injection of hypertonic saline and 9 women with prostaglandin F(2α). All but 2 women aborted after one injection. Thirty-five women of the oxytetracycline hydrochloride group received intravenous oxytocin after the appearance of uterine contractions, 17 did not. The mean injection abortion interval in the women who received intravenous oxytocin was 38.6 ± 2.7 h, whereas in the group without oxytocin it was 31.3 ± 2.3 h. There is no statistically significant difference between these two groups (p < 0.2). The mean injection abortion interval in the hypertonic saline group was 18.4 ± 2.2 h. In the F(2α) group it was 13.2 ± 1.3 h. There is no statistically significant difference between hypertonic saline and prostaglandins (p < 0.2). The mean injection abortion interval is significantly shorter in the F(2α) and hypertonic saline groups as compared to the oxytetracycline hydrochloride group (p < 0.001). It is advisable therefore to use oxytetracycline hydrochloride only in cases when the use of F(2α) or hypertonic saline is contraindicated.