Effect of green tea ointment on perineal pain and wound healing after episiotomy: A randomized double-blind clinical trial

Perineal pain after an episiotomy is common and distressing and affects quality of life of women who have just given birth. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of green tea ointment on pain and wound healing after episiotomy. This randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2019 on 130 parturient mothers in Hamadan, Iran. Mothers were assigned into two groups using blocked randomization. Data collection tools were a demographic questionnaire, Redness, Edema, Ecchymosis, Discharge, and Approximation (REEDA) scale to measure episiotomy wound healing, and a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to measure episiotomy pain score. REEDA and VAS were completed 6 h after episiotomy surgery. Green tea ointment was administered to the patients in the intervention group twice a day for 10 days while the control group received placebo. On days 5 and 10 following the intervention, REEDA and VAS were completed. The data were analyzed using Stata-13 software and the significance level was considered at p