Perineal wound infections: An Audit

Abstract

An audit was completed by an NHS trust to determine the rate of perineal trauma amongst vaginal births and to assess the rate of perineal wound infections. The audit results confirmed a higher than average rate of perineal wound infections amongst women who had an instrumental birth. The trust decided to separate the contents of the delivery packs into two separate packs – one pack for birth and one pack for suturing - and developed a back-to-basics update session that was delivered to staff working within the maternity setting. A re-audit the following year confirmed that these measures had worked and the overall perineal wound infection rate reduced within the trust.