TITLE:
Professional’s skills in assessment of perineal tears after childbirth—A systematic review
AUTHORS:
Ann Morris, Marie Berg, Anna Dencker
KEYWORDS:
Perineum Injuries; Perineal Tears; Obstetrics/Midwifery Education; Clinical Competence; Review; Childbirth
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.3 No.4A,
June
14,
2013
ABSTRACT: Perineal tears are one of the
most common complications of vaginal births and may cause discomfort and pain
long time after childbirth. Visual and digital examination of perineal tears
is the most common way to assess and classify a perineal tear. Recent research
indicates that many tears diagnosed are misclassified. The aim of this
systematic literature review was to outline research that investigates
healthcare professionals’ clinical knowledge in assessment and classification
of perineal tears in connection with childbirth. Searches were performed in
PubMed and CINAHL. Six studies on the topic were identified and used to collect data for questionnaires. An integrative review was used in the analysis.
Poor knowledge in perineal anatomy and lack of training in clinical assessment and classification of perineal trauma
was evident among both physicians and
midwives. These findings indicate that
healthcare providers lack adequate knowledge and that they
make incorrect assessments and errors in classification of perineal tears. The
training in assessment and classification is crucial. Midwives are in a unique
position to improve the standard of care in this field since they are often the
first and many times the only to assess the injury.