Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35948903›Full record

ArticleBMC women's health2022

Obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS): using transperineal ultrasound (TPUS) for detecting, visualizing and monitoring the healing process.

Anna-Lena Stickelmann, Lieven Nils Kennes, Miriam Hölscher, Charlotte Graef, Tomas Kupec, Julia Wittenborn, Elmar Stickeler, Laila Najjari

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC women's health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Anna-Lena StickelmannGynaecology and Obstetrics, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany. annalena.stickelmann@gmx.de.
Lieven Nils KennesDepartment of Economics and Business Administration, Hochschule Stralsund, Stralsund, Germany.
Miriam HölscherGynaecology and Obstetrics, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
Charlotte GraefGynaecology and Obstetrics, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
Tomas KupecGynaecology and Obstetrics, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
Julia WittenbornGynaecology and Obstetrics, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
Elmar StickelerGynaecology and Obstetrics, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
Laila NajjariGynaecology and Obstetrics, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
RWTH Aachen University · DEUniversitätsklinikum Aachen · DEUniversity of Applied Sciences Stralsund · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe aim of this study was to examine whether OASIS, and its extent, can be confirmed or excluded using transperineal ultrasound (TPUS). A further objective of this study was to monitor the healing process over a period of 6 months and to establish a connection between the sonographic appearance of obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASIS) and anal incontinence. MATERIALS AND

methodsIn this retrospective clinical study, women with OASIS who gave birth between March 2014 and August 2019 were enrolled. All the patients underwent TPUS 3 days and 6 months after delivery. A GE E8 Voluson ultrasound system with a 3.5-5 MHz ultrasound probe was used. The ultrasound images showed a third-degree injury, with the measurement of the width of the tear and its extent (superficial, partial, complete, EAS and IAS involvement). A positive contraction effect, a sign of sufficient contraction, was documented. Six months after delivery, a sonographic assessment of the healing (healed, scar or still fully present) was performed. A Wexner score was obtained from each patient. The patients' medical histories, including age, parity, episiotomy and child's weight, were added.

resultsThirty-one of the 55 recruited patients were included in the statistical evaluation. Three patients were excluded from the statistical evaluation because OASIS was excluded on TPUS 3 days after delivery. One patient underwent revision surgery for anal incontinence and an inadequately repaired anal sphincter injury, as shown sonographic assessment, 9 days after delivery. Twenty patients were excluded for other reasons. The results suggest that a tear that appears smaller (in mm) after 3 days implies better healing after 6 months. This effect was statistically significant, with a significance level of alpha = 5% (p = 0.0328). Regarding anal incontinence, women who received an episiotomy had fewer anal incontinence symptoms after 6 months. The effect of episiotomy was statistically significant, with a significance level of alpha = 5% (p = 0.0367).

conclusionTPUS is an accessible, non-invasive method for detecting, quantifying, following-up and monitoring OASIS in patients with third-degree perineal tears. The width, as obtained by sonography, is important with regard to the healing of OASIS. A mediolateral episiotomy seems to prevent anal incontinence after 6 months.

Indexed as

Fecal IncontinenceLacerationsObstetric Labor ComplicationsAnal CanalDelivery, ObstetricEpisiotomyFemaleHumansInfant, NewbornPerineumPregnancyRetrospective StudiesAnal sphincter injuriesObstetric anal sphincter injuryThird-degree perineal tearTransperineal ultrasound

Identifiers

PMID35948903
PMCPMC9364618
OpenAlexW4291021390

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.