Table 3.
Side-effects: % (n)*
| |
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) |
*Denominators vary due to response rate for each question.
**Data only collected in Senegal, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso.
***Data only collected in Senegal and Burkina Faso.
†Listed in “other” side effects; only collected in Senegal, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso.