TY - JOUR
T1 - Immediate postpartum perineal examination as a predictor of puerperal pelvic floor dysfunction
AU - Pregazzi, Roberto
AU - Sartore, Andrea
AU - Bortoli, Paolo
AU - Grimaldi, Eva
AU - Ricci, Giuseppe
AU - Guaschino, Secondo
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To determine the relation between postpartum perineal trauma and the development of puerperal pelvic floor dysfunctions. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted on 218 primiparae immediately after vaginal delivery. Women were divided in three groups according to perineal trauma: group A (n = 171) intact perineum or superficial tear, group B (n = 39) perineal muscle tears, group C (n = 8) anal sphincter tears with or without disruption of the rectal mucosa. Two months later, each woman was questioned about urogynecologic symptoms and examined by digital test, vaginal perineometry, and uroflowmetric stop test score. RESULTS: No significant difference was found among the groups with regard to the incidence of stress incontinence, frequency/urgency, and urge incontinence, whereas anal incontinence was found more commonly in group C (group C versus group A: P = .003, odds ratio 18.78). No significant difference was found for digital test, perineometry, and uroflowmetric stop test. CONCLUSION: Immediate postpartum perineal examination is not a good predictor of stress incontinence and pelvic floor weakness but could identify women at risk for anal dysfunctions: intact perineum does not exclude the appearance of symptoms related to perineal trauma after vaginal delivery.
AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine the relation between postpartum perineal trauma and the development of puerperal pelvic floor dysfunctions. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted on 218 primiparae immediately after vaginal delivery. Women were divided in three groups according to perineal trauma: group A (n = 171) intact perineum or superficial tear, group B (n = 39) perineal muscle tears, group C (n = 8) anal sphincter tears with or without disruption of the rectal mucosa. Two months later, each woman was questioned about urogynecologic symptoms and examined by digital test, vaginal perineometry, and uroflowmetric stop test score. RESULTS: No significant difference was found among the groups with regard to the incidence of stress incontinence, frequency/urgency, and urge incontinence, whereas anal incontinence was found more commonly in group C (group C versus group A: P = .003, odds ratio 18.78). No significant difference was found for digital test, perineometry, and uroflowmetric stop test. CONCLUSION: Immediate postpartum perineal examination is not a good predictor of stress incontinence and pelvic floor weakness but could identify women at risk for anal dysfunctions: intact perineum does not exclude the appearance of symptoms related to perineal trauma after vaginal delivery.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0029-7844(01)01763-X
DO - 10.1016/S0029-7844(01)01763-X
M3 - Article
C2 - 12039115
AN - SCOPUS:0036130329
VL - 99
SP - 581
EP - 584
JO - Obstetrics and Gynecology
JF - Obstetrics and Gynecology
SN - 0029-7844
IS - 4
ER -