- Home
- Medical news & Guidelines
- Anesthesiology
- Cardiology and CTVS
- Critical Care
- Dentistry
- Dermatology
- Diabetes and Endocrinology
- ENT
- Gastroenterology
- Medicine
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Obstretics-Gynaecology
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopaedics
- Pediatrics-Neonatology
- Psychiatry
- Pulmonology
- Radiology
- Surgery
- Urology
- Laboratory Medicine
- Diet
- Nursing
- Paramedical
- Physiotherapy
- Health news
- Fact Check
- Bone Health Fact Check
- Brain Health Fact Check
- Cancer Related Fact Check
- Child Care Fact Check
- Dental and oral health fact check
- Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
- Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
- Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
- Fitness fact check
- Gut health fact check
- Heart health fact check
- Kidney health fact check
- Medical education fact check
- Men's health fact check
- Respiratory fact check
- Skin and hair care fact check
- Vaccine and Immunization fact check
- Women's health fact check
- AYUSH
- State News
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Andhra Pradesh
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Bihar
- Chandigarh
- Chattisgarh
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli
- Daman and Diu
- Delhi
- Goa
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jammu & Kashmir
- Jharkhand
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Ladakh
- Lakshadweep
- Madhya Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Manipur
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- Odisha
- Puducherry
- Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Sikkim
- Tamil Nadu
- Telangana
- Tripura
- Uttar Pradesh
- Uttrakhand
- West Bengal
- Medical Education
- Industry
Application of dry heat promotes episiotomy wound healing among primipara women
Women who undergo perineal episiotomy can be affected by several complications such as bleeding, infection, perineal pain, dyspareunia, reduction of sexual desire, as well as urinary and anal incontinence. Perineal pain related to episiotomy has been reported to interfere with women’s daily activities postpartum and can prevent proper breastfeeding, proper rooming-in, and maternal-infant bonding.
Moist heat is one of the techniques that can alleviate perineal pain and enhance wound healing. It requires immersion of the perineal area and buttocks for 15 to 20 minutes in warm water at a temperature of 110°–115°F. It can be used to lessen perineal discomfort, itching, or muscle spasms. Moist heat can also facilitate wound healing by soaking the perineum and anus, improving circulation, decreasing edema, and inflammation, and promoting muscle relaxation this study was carried out to compare the effects of dry heat versus moist heat application in reducing perineal pain and promoting episiotomy wound healing among primiparous women. The purpose of the study by Naglaa Zaki Hassan Roma et al was to determine the effect of dry heat application on perineal pain and episiotomy wound healing among primipara women.
A quasi-experimental, two-group, pre-post-test research study was conducted at the postnatal inpatient ward and the outpatient clinic of the El-Shatby Maternity University Hospital in Alexandria. A sample of 100 parturient women was divided into the following two groups at random: dry heat and moist (control) heat. Women in the moist heat group were advised to sit in a basin (tub) of warm water for 10 minutes, while those in the dry heat group were instructed to set an infrared light (230 volts) at a distance of 45 cm from the perineum after 12 hours post episiotomy. Both interventions were applied twice a day for ten consecutive days. Authors evaluated the severity of their perineal pain at baseline and repeated it on the 5th and 10th days after obtaining the interventions while the episiotomy wound healing was assessed on the 5th and 10th days.
It was discovered that the dry heat group had a significantly improved episiotomy wound healing as regards perineal redness, edema of the perineal area, ecchymosis, wound discharge, and approximation of wound edges on the 5th (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.007, P < 0.003, and P < 0.001, respectively) and 10th day after intervention (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.005, and P < 0.001, respectively) than the moist heat group. The primipara women had significantly lower perineal pain intensity in the dry heat group on the 5th and 10th days after intervention than in the moist heat group (P < 0.001 for the dry heat group and P = 0.004 for the moist heat group).
On investigating the perineal pain level, the results of the present study revealed that the pain was significantly reduced in the dry heat group than in the moist heat group on the 5th and 10th days after the interventions. The pain reduction could be attributed to the fact that heat application induces vasodilatation and increases blood circulation to the area. This could enhance tissue oxygenation, reduce muscle spasms, accelerate waste product removal, reduce inflammation, and promote episiotomy wound healing. Moreover, the heat application had soothing effects on the superficial sensory nerve endings.
Application of the Primipara women of dry heat promotes episiotomy wound healing and reduces their perineal pain during early postpartum days than moist heat. According to the present study’s findings, it is advised that dry heat be included in the postnatal units’ protocol as a useful nonpharmacological intervention to promote episiotomy wound healing and lessen perineal pain during the postpartum period.
Source: Naglaa Zaki Hassan Roma, Rasha Mohamed Essa, Zohour Ibrahim Rashwan; Hindawi Obstetrics and Gynecology International Volume 2023, Article ID 9572354 https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/9572354
MBBS, MD Obstetrics and Gynecology
Dr Nirali Kapoor has completed her MBBS from GMC Jamnagar and MD Obstetrics and Gynecology from AIIMS Rishikesh. She underwent training in trauma/emergency medicine non academic residency in AIIMS Delhi for an year after her MBBS. Post her MD, she has joined in a Multispeciality hospital in Amritsar. She is actively involved in cases concerning fetal medicine, infertility and minimal invasive procedures as well as research activities involved around the fields of interest.
Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751