Prophylaxis against prostaglandin-induced gastrointestinal side effects.

Prostaglandin F2 alpha was administered intravenous drip in 130 patients with missed, incomplete inevitable and septic abortion, intrauterine death and vesicular mole and for therapeutic termination of midtrimester pregnancies. In 84 patients (control group), no prophylactic antiemetic or antidiarrheal drugs were administered, while in 46 patients (study group), an antiemetic (prochlorperazine) and an antidiarrheal (diphenoxylate hydrochloride with atropine sulfate) drug were administered prophylactically before and during prostaglandin infusion. The incidence in vomiting and diarrhea was statistically much less in the study group (P less than 0.0005 for vomiting and P less than 0.005 for diarrhea). There was no statistically significant difference in the success rate of prostaglandin induction in the two groups.