Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39254842›Full record

Trial reportInternational urogynecology journal2024

Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injury After Episiometer-Guided Versus Conventional Episiotomy in Instrumental Deliveries: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Soundarya N Sriram, Gowri Dorairajan, Ajay Rane

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialComparative Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in International urogynecology journal, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
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

3 authors.

Soundarya N SriramDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Second Floor, Women and Child Block, Puducherry, India.
Gowri DorairajanDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Second Floor, Women and Child Block, Puducherry, India. gowridorai@hotmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-8278-3648
Ajay RaneTownsville University Hospital, Townsville, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introduction and hypothesisGuidelines recommend episiotomy for instrumental vaginal delivery with an optimal incision angle of 60° to protect the anal sphincter. The "Episiometer" is a new device promising a 60° incision angle. We compared the incidence of obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI) and post-repair suture angle of episiotomies made with conventional "eyeballing" versus Episiometer guided during instrumental delivery.

methodsWe conducted this randomized controlled trial in a tertiary care teaching institute in southern India after ethical committee approval, trial registration, and informed consent. We randomized (block) 328 pregnant women aged 18 years and above with term, singleton fetuses delivered by instruments into Episiometer-guided (164) or conventional episiotomy (164) groups (allocation concealed). We compared the OASI (identified clinically) and the suture angle measured from the midline (assessor blinded) in the two groups. We followed up on the subjects at 6 and 12 weeks to assess perineal pain and fecal/flatus incontinence.

resultsThe incidence of OASI of 0.61% in the Episiometer group was significantly lower compared with 4.88% in the eyeballing group (Chi-squared = 5.6; p = 0.02; adjusted risk ratio = 5.9; CI 0.7-46.1; p = 0.09). A significantly higher proportion of subjects (59.1%) in the Episometer group had a post-suture angle between 36 and 40° compared with 36.6% in the eyeballing group (Chi-squared = 21.8, p < 0.001). We found no significant difference in the perineal pain or Wexner score during follow-up.

conclusionThe Episiometer-guided episiotomy during instrumental delivery resulted in a significantly higher suture angle and lower obstetric anal sphincter injuries than with conventional eyeballing.

Indexed as

Anal CanalDelivery, ObstetricEpisiotomyAdultFecal IncontinenceFemaleHumansIncidenceIndiaPerineumPregnancyYoung AdultDyspareuniaEpisiometerEpisiotomy angleInstrumental deliveryObstetric anal sphincter injuryOperative vaginal delivery

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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.