Termination of midtrimester pregnancies by intra-amniotic injection of hypertonic saline.

Amniocentesis and intra-amniotic injection of hypertonic saline to terminate pregnancy in the second trimester has at~ tained great importance in recent [Years. That such a method was not accepted or currently used in leading obstetric institutiolll3 can be easily demonstrated. In Scandinavia, where an average of 3,354 pregnancies were legally terminated annually from 1955 to 1965, abdominal bysterotomy was the method of choice. At the MC!iyo Clinic from 1959-62 the management of m!.ssed abortion wa.<> active, surgical in 62'% of the cases (Csapo, 1965). This is an opportune time to review briefly the historical development of application of hypertonic solutions for termination of midtrimester pregnancy. Abruel (1934) in Bucharest studied the problem of induction of labour when tmrvival of the foetus need not be considered e.g~ cases of therapeutic abortion, intrauterine death and lethal foetal anomalies. He found that introduction of 33% saline into the amniotic cavity was effective in terminating pregnancy. His method con-