|
Materials And Methods
This study was undergone from February 1, 2002, to February 2003 at
Prince Rashid Bin Al Hassan Hospital where the incidence of postpartum
hemorrhage was ~7%, causing ~20% of maternal deaths.
Women included in the study were in active labour or undergoing induction
of labour when vaginal delivery was anticipated. During randomisation,
450 women were divided into two groups: (1) the study group: 198 women,
were given two 200 micrograms misoprostol tablets plus 500 cc intravenous
normal saline and, (2) the control group: 204 women, were given two
330 mg lactose rectally as placebo plus 20 units oxytocin in 500 cc
normal saline.
48 women were excluded from the study because they had gestational
age of <34 weeks or caesarean delivery or were hypersensitive to
prostaglandins or had anaemia at the start of the study.
|
|
Information included in the study was: maternal
age, parity, episiotomy, pereneal tear and birth weight. Expected
side effects as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, hot flushes, headache,
shivering, and hyperthermia were assessed. Blood loss was assessed
either by weighing blood collected in bed pan and that collected from
the gauze and pads or by obtaining the difference between Hb and hematocrit
values between admission and day one post delivery or estimated by
the person attending the delivery.
Primary outcome measures were the incidence of postpartum haemorrhage
and drop in Hb or hematocrtit. Secondary outcome measures were the
length of third stage of labour and severe post partum haemorrhage.
Post partum haemorrhage was defined as blood loss in excess of 500
cc or 10% drop in Hb or hematocrit from admission to day one post
delivery.
 
|