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Table 3 Side-effects: % (n)*

From: Sublingual misoprostol versus standard surgical care for treatment of incomplete abortion in five sub-Saharan African countries

 

Misoprostol

Surgical

p-value

 

n = 465

n = 374

 

Severity of side effects

   

 “None”

14.8 (65/440)

24.0 (53/221)

0.02

 “Easily tolerable” / “tolerable”

77.5 (341/440)

71.0 (157/221)

 “Severe” / “very severe”

7.7 (34/440)

5.0 (11/221)

Normal bleeding**

35.4 (119/336)

9.4 (17/180)

< 0.001

Heavy bleeding**

11.6 (39/336)

0.6 (1/180)

< 0.001

Spotting***

31.0 (104/336)

51.1 (92/180)

< 0.001

Pain/cramps**

54.8 (184/336)

24.4 (44/180)

< 0.001

Fever/chills**

3.9 (13/336)

1.7 (3/180)

0.20

Nausea**

16.7 (56/336)

2.8 (5/180)

< 0.001

Vomiting**

7.1 (24/336)

1.1 (2/180)

< 0.01

Headache

7.7 (26/336)

8.9 (16/180)

0.74

Gastrointestinal issues

15.2 (51/336)

3.9 (7/180)

< 0.001

Vertigo

1.2 (4/336)

4.4 (8/180)

0.03

Tolerability of pain**

   

 “No pain”

5.1 (17/332)

5.6 (10/177)

< 0.01

 “Very tolerable” / “tolerable”

92.2 (306/332)

85.3 (151/177)

 “Not tolerable”

2.7 (9/332)

9.0 (16/177)

Difficulty of treatment***

  

0.45

 “Not at all difficult” / “a little difficult”

95.4 (290/304)

97.4 (148/152)

 “Difficult” / “very difficult”

4.6 (14/304)

2.6 (4/152)

Acceptability of bleeding**

   

 “Acceptable” / “very acceptable”

99.1 (328/331)

100.0 (174/174)

0.56

 “Not acceptable”

0.9 (3/331)

0.0 (0/0)

 
  1. *Denominators vary due to response rate for each question.
  2. **Data only collected in Senegal, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso.
  3. ***Data only collected in Senegal and Burkina Faso.
  4. Listed in “other” side effects; only collected in Senegal, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso.