Methods	Randomisation was provided by a series of computer-generated random numbers. All study medication was dispensed by the investigator or hospital pharmacy
Participants	83 patients undergoing valvular heart operations with or without concomittant coronary artery bypass surgery were randomised to one of two groups Desmopressin (DDAVP) group: n = 41; M/F = 24/17; mean age (+/−SD) = 61.9 (10.7) years. Placebo group: n = 42; M/F = 21/21; mean age (+/−SD) = 60.1 (9.2) years.
Interventions	DDAVP group received 0.3 ug/kg of DDAVP in 50 ml of normal saline for 15 min immediately after the cessation of cardiac bypass and the administration of protamine sulphate. Placebo group received an equivalent volume of normal saline. NB: Both groups were exposed to pre-operative autologous blood donation (PAD) and postoperative epsilon aminocaproic acid (EACA)
Outcomes	Number of patients transfused allogeneic blood (n) Amount of allogeneic and autologus blood transfused (units) Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfused (n/units) Platelets transfused (n/units) Blood loss (mls) Mortality (n) Myocardial infarction (n) Re-operation for bleeding (n) Bowel infarction (n) Brain stem infarction (n) Femoral artery embolism (n) Cardiac arrest (n) Retinal artery embolism (n)
Notes	Quality assessment score (Schulz criteria): 4/7 Transfusion protocol not specified.
Risk of bias
Item	Authors’ judgement	Description
Adequate sequence generation?	Yes	Randomisation was provided by a series of computer-generated random numbers
Allocation concealment?	Unclear	B - Unclear.
Blinding? All outcomes	Yes	Double blind.