OBSTETRICS Oral Misoprostol Versus Oxytocin in the

Objective: To compare the effects of oral misoprostol 800 ìg with intramuscular oxytocin 10 IU in routine management of the third stage of labour. Methods: This randomized controlled trial was performed in a rural district hospital in Ghana, West Africa, and enrolled women in labour with anticipated vaginal delivery and no known medical contraindication to prostaglandin administration. Women were randomized to receive oral misoprostol 800 ìg or intramuscular oxytocin 10 IU. Blood samples were taken to determine hemoglobin concentration before delivery and at 12 hours post partum. Treatment was administered at delivery of the anterior shoulder. The primary outcome was the change in hemoglobin concentration from before to after delivery. Secondary outcomes included other measures of blood loss and presumed medicatio