Evaluation of Comprehensive Documentation After Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injury

The incidence of obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASI) has increased in recent years, which may be due to improved recognition and documentation. There is limited evidence regarding the effects of thorough documentation of obstetric anal sphincter injury repairs on postpartum clinical outcomes. Our objectives were to (1) compare the incidence of perineal wound complications between documentation groups, (2) compare other adverse events, and (3) to describe factors associated with adequate documentation. We hypothesized that better documentation would be associated with improved clinical outcomes. This was a retrospective cohort study of 599 patients with OASI at a tertiary care referral center between January 2015 and December 2020. A priori definitions of documentation adequacy were utilized to stratify delivery notes. On the basis of these criteria, there were preferred, adequate, and inadequate documentation groups. Maternal characteristics, outcomes, and peripartum factors were compared between the groups. There were no significant differences in clinical outcomes between the groups. A higher degree of perineal laceration (p