Abstract

Background: During the course of delivery many women undergo episiotomy. Episiotomy is painful and takes a couple of weeks to heal fully. Though various antibiotics and analgesics are routinely prescribed after delivery for enhancing the wound healing and decreasing the pain, but most of the local therapies for healing for the episiotomy wound are often less utilized. Sitz bath, Cold compression therapy with application of cold gel pad and wound radiation by infrared therapy are often used to reduce pain and enhance wound healing. The study was done with the primary aim to compare the effectiveness of cold compression therapy versus infrared therapy on healing of episiotomy wound among postnatal patients.
Methodology: A comparative interventional study was conducted for a period of 6 months during which 100 vaginally delivered patients were included in the study. The patients were included after obtaining written and informed consent and fulfilling the inclusion criteria. The patients were randomly divided using closed envelope method into two equal groups; viz, group A, who were given cold compression therapy by cold gel pack and group B, who were given infrared therapy. In the two groups local wound therapies were given two times a day (morning and evening), for three consecutive days after delivery. At the end of 3 days after the therapies, the REEDA scale scoring was used to assess healing of episiotomy wound. Data entry was done in Microsoft Excel and analysis carried out using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) Software version 20/ Epi Info.
Result: Demographically both the groups were equal in terms of age, parity etc.; and statistically not significant. More than half of the patients were Primigravida. Based on REEDA scores, both the groups were compared and it was found that, local wound therapy