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Assessment and Postnatal Management of Genital Tract Trauma

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Perineal Trauma at Childbirth

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Abstract

The majority of women who give birth vaginally will sustain some form of genital tract trauma and around 70 % of these women will require suturing of their perineal trauma. Current recommendations for routine clinical care from the NICE intra-partum guideline are that the assessment of the vagina and perineum to identify extent of any trauma sustained should take place as soon as possible. Repair should be performed using a continuous suturing method using a fast absorbing suture material. It is also recommended that women are advised on signs and symptoms of wound infection, including pain, exudate from the wound or the wound gaping, and signs and symptoms of genital tract infection. This chapter aims to consider the extent to which genital tract trauma impacts on a woman’s postnatal recovery and outlines key areas for consideration for clinicians during the 6–8 week postnatal period and beyond.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, King’s College London, London, UK

    Teresa Arias & Debra Bick

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  1. Teresa Arias
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  2. Debra Bick
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Correspondence to Teresa Arias .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom

    Khaled M. K. Ismail

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Arias, T., Bick, D. (2016). Assessment and Postnatal Management of Genital Tract Trauma. In: Ismail, K. (eds) Perineal Trauma at Childbirth. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14860-1_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14860-1_6

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