• Eray Calişkan, M Mutlu Meydanli, Berna Dilbaz, Burcu Aykan, Meral Sönmezer, and Ali Haberal.
• Social Security Council: Maternity and Women's Health Teaching Hospital, Ballibaba sok. No: 86/3, 06660 Küçükesat, Ankara, Turkey. eray68@hotmail.com
• Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 2002 Oct 1;187(4):1038-45.

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to compare misoprostol 600 microg intrarectally with conventional oxytocics in the treatment of third stage of labor.Study DesignIn a controlled trial, 1606 women were randomly grouped to receive (1) oxytocin 10 IU plus rectal misoprostol, (2) rectal misoprostol, (3) oxytocin 10 IU, and (4) oxytocin 10 IU plus methylergometrine. The main outcome measures were the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage and a drop in hemoglobin concentration from before delivery to 24 hours after delivery.ResultsThe incidence of postpartum hemorrhage was 9.8% in the group that received only rectal misoprostol therapy compared with 3.5% in the group that received oxytocin and methylergometrine therapy (P =.001). There were no significant differences among the 4 groups with regard to a drop in hemoglobin concentrations. Significantly more women needed additional oxytocin in the group that received only rectal misoprostol therapy, when compared with the group that received oxytocin and methylergometrine therapy (8.3% vs 2.2%; P <.001). The primary outcome measures were similar in the group that received only rectal misoprostol therapy and the group that received only oxytocin therapy.ConclusionRectal misoprostol is significantly less effective than oxytocin plus methylergometrine for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage.

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