Early Medical Abortion with Stachys lavandulifolia Hydroalcoholic Extract in Eombination with Misoprostol Compared to Misoprostol Alone: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Considering the lack of scientific documents published on humans regarding the effect of Stachys lavandulifolia hydroalcoholic extract on abortion in traditional Iranian medicine, the aim of the present study was to determine and investigate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of mountain tea in combination with misoprostol compared to misoprostol alone in terminating pregnancies less than 12 weeks.

The present randomized clinical trial study was conducted at Imam Sajjad Hospital of Yasuj in 2019-2020 on 40 referring patients divided into two groups. Participants were assigned to two groups of mountain tea extract in combination with misoprostol (group A) or misoprostol alone (group B). In group A, mountain tea in the form of capsules (400 mg every three hours, up to three times, daily) along with 400 micrograms of misoprostol (every three hours, up to three doses, daily) were prescribed. In group B, misoprostol 800 micrograms were taken orally every three hours, up to three doses daily. In case of no abortion, the above dose was repeated on the second day. The intended outcomes included pain intensity, bleeding intensity, patient satisfaction, type of abortion, assessment of side effects (such as vital signs, clinical symptoms, blood parameters, analysis of kidney and liver function indicators). The collected data are analyzed using chi-square and t-test.

There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of complete abortion (p=0.52) and incomplete abortion (p=52). The duration of intervention in group A (6.10±1.11) was significantly shorter than group B (8.40±0.59) (p>0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of pain intensity (p=0.52) and bleeding intensity (p=0.14) at 4-8 hours and 8-12 hours after the intervention. Also, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of blood parameters, kidney and liver analysis (p<0.05). In terms of side effects, a statistically significant increase in fever (p=0.008), diarrhea (p<0.001) and nausea (p>0.001) was observed in group B compared to group A. Also, the results of the present study showed that patient satisfaction in group A (6±0) was significantly better than group B (4.60±1.14) (p<0.001).

The findings of this study indicated that S. lavandulifolia hydroalcoholic extract in combination with misoprostol resulted in shorter duration of abortion process, lower adverse outcomes and better patients’ satisfaction compared to the administration of misoprostol alone.