Preoperative cervical priming by intracervical application of a new sulprostone gel

Abstract In a prospective, randomised dose-finding study involving 60 women scheduled for termination of 1st trimester pregnancy, 25 μg, 50 μg or 100 μg of a sulprostone gel with a constant injection volume of 2.5 ml were applied intracervically 6–8 hours before curettage. The gelatinising agent was Pluronic F 127, which is liquid at temperatures A sterile, ready-to-use gel can be produced within a minute by mixing the active substance with the gelatinising agent; this rules out any loss of activity due to storage of the substances. The priming effect was verified in 30 patients by means of comparative examinations with a special tonometer before application of the gel and immediately before the surgical procedure. The 100-μg dosage proved to be the most effective method in nulliparae, achieving a mean free patency (i.e. force