Olah 1990.

Methods	Quasi‐randomised trial.
Participants	Setting ‐ Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham. 120 women randomised. Inclusion criteria ‐ episiotomy repair following an instrumental delivery (forceps or ventouse extraction). Exclusion criteria ‐ details not documented. Parity ‐ primigravida and multigravida. Mean age ‐ intervention group = 27.0; control group = 26.5 Operators ‐ single operator familiar with technique.
Interventions	Method of repair ‐ continuous non‐locking stitch with subcuticular to skin (similar method as described by Isager‐Sally 1986). Intervention group (n = 60) polyglycolic acid (Dexon) gauge 0 (needle size not specified). Comparison group (n = 60) chromic catgut gauge 0 (needle size not specified).
Outcomes	Short‐term pain ‐ day 3 and 5. Dehiscence of wound ‐ day 5. Removal of suture material ‐ day 5. Resuturing ‐ day 5. Oedema ‐ day 5 Bruising ‐ day 5.
Notes	No long‐term follow up. Additional information included in the review was obtained directly from the author.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Adequate sequence generation?	High risk	Odd and even case note numbers.
Allocation concealment?	High risk	Not concealed therefore, treatment allocation could be anticipated in advance.
Blinding? Women	Unclear risk	Not stated.
Blinding? Clinical staff	High risk	Blinding not possible due to obvious differences in suture materials.
Blinding? Outcome assessors	High risk	Blinding not possible due to obvious differences in suture materials.
Incomplete outcome data addressed? All outcomes	Low risk	No loss to follow up apparent.
Free of other bias?	Low risk	Women in the 2 groups were described as being similar at baseline.