[Curettage or not after spontaneous abortion?]. Management of miscarriage: expectant, medical, or surgical? Results of randomised controlled trial (miscarriage treatment (MIST) trial). Randomised trial of expectant versus surgical management of spontaneous miscarriage. Management of miscarriage: a randomized controlled trial of expectant management versus surgical evacuation. A randomised trial of surgical, medical and expectant management of first trimester spontaneous miscarriage. Expectant management of first-trimester spontaneous abortion.
In most cases of miscarriage, standard procedure has until recently been surgical revision of the uterine cavity.
                94 women with first trimester miscarriage were randomized to surgical revision (n = 48) or expectation (n = 46) after informed consent. Women with unacceptable pain or bleeding, or uterine contents of more than 20 mm diameter on sonography were not included. The patients were followed up seven to ten days later with gynaecological examination, sonography, and determination of levels of haemoglobin, leukocytes, C-reactive protein and HCG.
                In the revision group there were no operative complications, no cases of infection, and no unscheduled consultations. Mean duration of bleeding was 4.8 days (range 1-11 days). In the observation group there were no cases of infection, surgical revision was carried out in seven patients, and there were six unscheduled consultations. Mean duration of bleeding was 7.3 days (range 2-27 days). The women undergoing surgical revision had less pain and bleeding.
                Women with first trimester miscarriage may safely be observed without surgical revision but may have somewhat more pain and more vaginal bleeding than if revision is carried out. To ascertain whether a clinically important difference exists in the incidence of gynaecological infection between surgical management and expectant or medical management of miscarriage.
                Randomised controlled trial comparing medical and expectant management with surgical management of first trimester miscarriage.
                Early pregnancy assessment units of seven hospitals in the United Kingdom.
                Women of less than 13 weeks' gestation, with a diagnosis of early fetal demise or incomplete miscarriage.
                Expectant management (no specific intervention); medical management (vaginal dose of misoprostol preceded, for women with early fetal demise, by oral mifepristone 24-48 hours earlier); surgical management (surgical evacuation).
                Confirmed gynaecological infection at 14 days and eight weeks; need for unplanned admission or surgical intervention.
                1200 women were recruited: 399 to expectant management, 398 to medical management, and 403 to surgical management. No differences were found in the incidence of confirmed infection within 14 days between the expectant group (3%) and the surgical group (3%) (risk difference 0.2%, 95% confidence interval - 2.2% to 2.7%) or between the medical group (2%) and the surgical group (0.7%, - 1.6% to 3.1%). Compared with the surgical group, the number of unplanned hospital admissions was significantly higher in both the expectant group (risk difference - 41%, - 47% to - 36%) and the medical group (- 10%, - 15% to - 6%). Similarly, when compared with the surgical group, the number of women who had an unplanned surgical curettage was significantly higher in the expectant group (risk difference - 39%, - 44% to - 34%) and the medical group (- 30%, - 35% to - 25%).
                The incidence of gynaecological infection after surgical, expectant, and medical management of first trimester miscarriage is low (2-3%), and no evidence exists of a difference by the method of management. However, significantly more unplanned admissions and unplanned surgical curettage occurred after expectant management and medical management than after surgical management. TRIAL REGISTRATION NATIONAL RESEARCH REGISTER: N0467011677/N0467073587. Thirty-five women with retained products of conception after spontaneous miscarriage were randomised to expectant (n = 19) or surgical (n = 16) management, respectively. Women were reviewed at one week, two weeks and six months. There were no significant differences in the number of days of pain, bleeding, sick leave or return to normal periods. Nine of twelve women from the expectant group and six of nine from the surgical group who attempted to conceive did so by six months. All 16 women were satisfied with conservative management. This study provides further reassurance when considering expectant management for spontaneous miscarriage both in the short and medium term. In many countries, surgical uterine evacuation is the standard treatment for women with a miscarriage, but expectant management has been advocated as an alternative. The choice between the two options cannot be based on published evidence alone, because randomized clinical trials are scarce while generalizability of findings to patients with a strong preference for either management options is unclear.
                In a randomized controlled trial, the complications and efficacy of either expectant or surgical management for miscarriages were compared, and the results in patients who refused randomization and were managed according to their own preference were studied. In total, 122 patients were randomized and 305 were managed according to their choice.
                No differences were found in the number of emergency curettages and complications between expectant and surgical management. Efficacy at 6 weeks was 30/64 (47%) in women allocated to expectant management, and 55/58 (95%) in women allocated to surgical evacuation. After 7 days, 37% of expectantly managed women had a spontaneous complete miscarriage. After 6 weeks, intention-to-treat analysis including cross-overs showed similar effectiveness (92% versus 100%). Results in the preference groups were comparable with those in the randomized groups.
                In our experience a waiting period of 7 days after diagnosis may prevent 37% of surgical procedures. Medical management and expectant care have been considered possible alternatives to surgical evacuation of the uterus for first trimester spontaneous miscarriage in recent years.
                To compare the effectiveness and safety of medical and expectant management with surgical management for first trimester incomplete or inevitable miscarriage.
                Forty women were recruited following diagnosis of incomplete or inevitable miscarriage, and randomised to surgical, medical or expectant care via an off-site, computerised enrollment system. The primary outcome was the effectiveness of medical (vaginal misoprostol) and expectant management relative to surgical evacuation, assessed at 10-14 days and 8 weeks post-recruitment. Infection, pain, bleeding, anxiety, depression, physical and emotional recovery were assessed also. Analysis was by intention-to-treat.
                Effectiveness at 8 weeks was lower for medical (80.0%) and expectant (78.6%) than for surgical management (100.0%). Two women in the medical group had confirmed infections. Bleeding lasted longer in the expectant group than in the surgical group. There were no significant differences in pain, physical recovery, anxiety or depression between the groups. 54.6%, 42.9% and 57.1% of the surgical, medical and expectant groups respectively would opt for the same treatment again.
                Expectant care appears to be sufficiently safe and effective to be offered as an option for women. Medical management might carry a higher risk of infection than surgical or expectant care. Approximately 15% of registered pregnancies end in spontaneous abortion, and for 50 years or so dilatation and curettage (D&C) has been the usual management. In a prospective randomised trial we compared the clinical results after either expectant management or D&C, for miscarriages of less than 13 weeks' gestation in which transvaginal ultrasound examination showed intrauterine tissue and/or blood clots with a diameter 15-50 mm. 103 patients were randomised to expectant management and spontaneous resolution of pregnancy occurred within 3 days in 81 cases (79%). 52 patients were randomised to D&C. 3 infections were diagnosed among patients who underwent expectant management (3%); 5 infections and 1 case of postoperative anaemia were observed among patients randomised to D&C (11%). The duration of vaginal bleeding was a mean of 1.3 days longer in the expectant management group (p < 0.02). Convalescence time, time during which patients experienced pain, and packed-cell volume 3 and 14 days after inclusion did not differ significantly between the groups. This study shows that expectant management of selected cases of spontaneous abortion has a similar outcome to D&C.
Expectant management led to a higher risk of incomplete miscarriage, need for unplanned (or additional) surgical emptying of the uterus, bleeding and need for transfusion. Risk of infection and psychological outcomes were similar for both groups. Costs were lower for expectant management. Given the lack of clear superiority of either approach, the woman's preference should be important in decision making. Pharmacological ('medical') management has added choices for women and their clinicians and has been examined in other reviews.