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Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Prostaglandin Extraction and Analysis in Caenorhabditis elegans
Published on: June 25, 2013
Systematic review of prostaglandin analogues for retained placenta
Carlos F Grillo-Ardila1, Jairo Amaya-Guio1, Ariel I Ruíz-Parra1
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
Background:
Medical management of retained placenta could be a safe alternative to manual removal.
Objective:
To evaluate the efficacy of prostaglandin analogues for retained placenta.
Search Strategy:
MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, ICTRP, LILACS, and OpenSIGLE were searched without language restrictions from inception to January 31, 2017, by combining terms for retained placenta and prostaglandin analogues.
Selection Criteria:
Randomized controlled trials comparing prostaglandin analogues with any other intervention.
Data Collection And Analysis:
Trials were independently assessed for inclusion, data extraction, and risk of bias. Data were extracted for meta-analyses. GRADE was used to evaluate the quality of data.
Main Results:
Seven randomized controlled trials (851 patients) were included. Prostaglandins did not increase the placenta expulsion rate (relative risk [RR] 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.83-2.36) or decrease maternal transfusion (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.43-1.22). In comparison with oxytocin, prostaglandins did not modify the expulsion rate (RR 1.26, 95% CI 0.90-1.78), maternal transfusion (RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.27-4.09), or time for delivery of placenta (mean difference -1.56 minutes, 95% CI, -9.25-6.13). Three trials comparing prostaglandins with oxytocin agonists, ergometrine, and manual removal reported similar results.
Conclusions:
Prostaglandin analogues do not offer an effective alternative for management of retained placenta.
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