Table 1. Characteristics of studies included in the Cochrane network meta-analysis “Uterotonic agents for preventing postpartum haemorrhage: A network meta-analysis” (2018) [14].
| Study Characteristic | Number of studies | % | Number of women | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 192 | 100 | 133,793 | 100 |
| Sample size | ||||
| Less than 200 women | 71 | 37.0 | 7,579 | 5.7 |
| 200–500 | 71 | 37.0 | 20,809 | 15.6 |
| More than 500 | 49 | 25.5 | 105,405 | 78.8 |
| Not specified | 1 | 0.5 | - | - |
| Region | ||||
| Africa | 53 | 27.6 | 26,309 | 19.7 |
| Asia | 78 | 40.6 | 31,277 | 23.4 |
| Europe | 29 | 15.1 | 15,611 | 11.7 |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 10 | 5.2 | 2,707 | 2 |
| Northern America | 11 | 5.7 | 3,563 | 2.7 |
| Oceania | 2 | 1.5 | 3,611 | 2.7 |
| More than one region involved | 4 | 1.5 | 79,796 | 37.2 |
| Not specified | 5 | 2.6 | 919 | 0.7 |
| Year of publication | ||||
| Before 1997 | 18 | 9.4 | 11,782 | 8.8 |
| 1997–2001 | 25 | 13.0 | 31,933 | 23.9 |
| 2002–2009 | 61 | 31.8 | 29,315 | 21.9 |
| 2010–2018 | 88 | 45.8 | 60,763 | 45.4 |
| Characteristics of women | ||||
| Low risk | 134 | 69.8 | 92,040 | 68.8 |
| High risk | 21 | 10.9 | 3,448 | 2.6 |
| Mixed low- and high-risk | 25 | 13.0 | 34,051 | 25.5 |
| Not specified | 12 | 6.2 | 4,254 | 3.2 |
| Mode of birth considered for inclusion in the study | ||||
| Vaginal birth | 126 | 65.6 | 117,168 | 87.6 |
| Caesarean section | 51 | 26.6 | 9,215 | 6.9 |
| Vaginal or caesarean section | 3 | 1.6 | 709 | 0.5 |
| Not specified | 12 | 6.2 | 6,701 | 5.0 |
| Mode of administration of the uterotonics* | ||||
| Oral /Rectal | 18 | 9.4 | 10,487 | 7.8 |
| Intramuscular | 86 | 44.8 | 91,864 | 68.7 |
| Intravenous | 84 | 43.8 | 29,648 | 22.2 |
| Not specified | 4 | 2.1 | 17,94 | 1.3 |
*More invasive mode considered in the order presented in the table