Gemynthe 1996.

Methods	RCT.
Participants	Setting ‐ Obstetric Unit, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. 308 women recruited. Inclusion criteria ‐ Danish speaking women with a spontaneous perineal tear or episiotomy requiring suturing. Exclusion criteria ‐ not documented. Parity ‐ primigravida. Mean age ‐ not documented. Operator ‐ not documented.
Interventions	Method of repair ‐ not described (stated that a continuous subcuticular suture is used in practically all departments of obstetrics in Denmark). Intervention group (n = 155) ‐ fast‐absorbing polyglactin 910 suture material (Vicryl Rapide) (suture material gauge and size of needle not documented). Comparison group (n = 153) ‐ standard polyglactin 910 suture material (Vicryl) (suture material gauge and size of needle not documented).
Outcomes	Pain or discomfort when sitting, lying, walking and defecation at 2 days, 5 days, 2 weeks and 3 months. Insufficient healing, visible sutures and sutures removed up to 8 weeks' postpartum healing. Time of resumption of intercourse ‐ up to 3 months. Dyspareunia at 3 months postpartum.
Notes
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Adequate sequence generation?	Unclear risk	Block randomisation ‐ block size not specified (stratification of randomisation by episiotomy or laceration).
Allocation concealment?	Unclear risk	States 'two sets of sealed envelopes'.
Blinding? Women	Low risk	States mothers were not aware of which suture material was used.
Blinding? Clinical staff	High risk	Obvious differences in colour of suture material and packaging (standard Vicryl is usually dyed purple and Vicryl Rapide is usually undyed).
Blinding? Outcome assessors	Unclear risk	States project midwives were not aware of which suture material was used (this may be possible in subcutaneous stitches were used). The woman's GP performed the check‐up at 2 months postpartum and was 'unaware of the suture material used'.
Incomplete outcome data addressed? All outcomes	Unclear risk	Some missing data at all data collection points (pain data 2.9% missing at 48 hrs. 11.7% at 2 weeks and 24% at 3 months).
Free of other bias?	Low risk	No other bias apparent.