Zimbabwe 2001.

Methods	Random allocation sequence generated by computer, allocation by numbered, sealed, opaque envelopes. Placebos used but were not identical. It is not mentioned whether outcome assessments were blinded or not.
Participants	500 low‐risk women delivering at Harare Maternity Hospital, Zimbabwe were included. Women with a history of postpartum haemorrhage, disseminated intravascular coagulation, antepartum haemorrhage, coagulation disorders, operative delivery, multiple pregnancy, history of asthma and known allergies to misoprostol or oxytocin were excluded.
Interventions	Misoprostol 400 mcg orally + 1 mL saline (placebo) vs oxytocin 10 IU IM + 2 placebo tablets.
Outcomes	Blood loss, side‐effects. Measurement of blood loss: blood volume in jug + weighing of soiled linen.
Notes	Management of the third stage not described.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	Random allocation sequence generated by computer.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Low risk	Numbered, sealed, opaque envelopes.
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Unclear if the blinding was protected throughout the study or if the outcome assessors were blinded.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Exclusions after randomisation: 1 women excluded because of undiagnosed twin delivery.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	Primary outcomes of the review were reported.
Other bias	Low risk	The groups were comparable.

* (15(S) 15 methyl PGF2alpha) 
 ** Synthetic PGE2 derivative (16‐phenoxy‐17,18,19,20‐tetranor‐PGE2‐methylsulphonamide) 
 ANM: auxiliary nurse midwives 
 BP: blood pressure 
 GI: gastrointestinal 
 Hb: haemoglobin 
 Hct: haematocrit 
 ICU: intensive care unit 
 IM: intramuscular(ly) 
 IU: international unit(s) 
 IUGR: intrauterine growth restriction 
 IV: intravenous(ly) 
 MBL: measured blood loss 
 PCV: packed cell volume 
 PPH: postpartum haemorrhage 
 vs: versus 
 wks: weeks