Use of oral misoprostol in the prevention of postpartum haemorrhage

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Abstract
To investigate the use of the oral prostaglandin E1 analogue, misoprostol in the prevention of postpartum haemorrhage. A prospective observational study. A university teaching hospital. Two hundred and thirty-seven consecutive women undergoing vaginal delivery. All the women were given 600 micrograms oral misoprostol just after delivery. Rates of postpartum haemorrhage; need for therapeutic oxytocic drugs; retained placenta and length of the third stage of labour. Postpartum haemorrhage occurred in 6% of the women; the need for therapeutic oxytocics in 5%, retained placenta in 2% and the median length of the third stage was 5 min. Vomiting and diarrhoea in the first hour after delivery occurred in 8% and 3% respectively and shivering in 60%. Misoprostol may be effective in the prevention of postpartum haemorrhage, and has few side effects. A double blind randomised trial is required.