Abstract
BACKGROUND: Episiotomy is one of the most common surgical interventions performed to facilitate delivery. Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects of Persian oak (Quercus persica) and henna (Lawsonia inermis) have been proved in previous studies. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of Q. persica and L. inermis ointment on episiotomy wound healing in primiparous women and comparing it with placebo group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a double-blind clinical trial conducted on 160 primiparous women who underwent episiotomy. The cases were randomly selected and divided into four groups of forty patients including control, placebo, those who consume topical henna, and those who consume topical Persian oak ointment. Pain and recovery assessment was done at baseline and 7(th), 10(th), and 14(th) days after birth and measured by Redness, Edema, Ecchymosis, Discharge, and Approximation (REEDA scale) and patients' pain intensity was also measured by a visual analog scale (VAS). The collected data were analyzed using Chi-square test, one-way ANOVA, and repeated measures ANOVA test by SPSS (version 22). RESULTS: The results revealed that according to the reduced score of REEDA till the 14(th) day after the delivery, the wound healing in the henna group and the oak group (-2.58 ± 0.29 and - 2.04 ± 0.31, respectively) was higher than the control and placebo groups (-1.62 ± 0.34 and - 1.95 ± 0.32, respectively) (P < 0.05). Furthermore, on the 14(th) day, the mean VAS score was not significantly different between henna and oak groups (henna group: 2.58 ± 0.25 and oak group: 2.23 ± 0.18); however, both intervention groups had a significant difference with the placebo and control groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The findings showed that the use of henna and oak ointment improves episiotomy wound healing process, so it is recommended for primiparous women.