The Effects of Ginger (
Zingiber officinale) Extract Ointment on Pain and Episiotomy Wound Healing in Nulliparous Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
J Caring Sci 2023;
12:181-187. [PMID:
38020739 PMCID:
PMC10663440 DOI:
10.34172/jcs.2023.31842]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction
Episiotomy is a usual midwifery surgery. Iran is a country with an abundant source of medicinal plants. This study aimed to investigate ginger extract ointment's effects on the pain and recovery of episiotomy incisions in nulliparous women.
Methods
This randomized clinical trial was conducted in a public hospital in Iran on 70 nulliparous women with an episiotomy incision. The women were randomly assigned to ginger extract ointment and placebo groups. The primary outcomes included pain and wound healing that were assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS), redness, edema, ecchymosis/bruising, discharge, and an approximation scale (REEDA). The participants were followed up before discharge from the hospital and 5×1 and 10×1 days after the intervention. The secondary outcome was the number of painkillers used during the study. Data were analyzed by chi-square, independent t test, and the Mann-Whitney U via SPSS-13. The significance levels were determined to be P≤0.05.
Results
There was no significant difference between participants treated with ginger extract ointment and placebo in the pain and wound healing scores before the intervention, 5×1 and 10×1 days after the intervention. But, the pain intensity decreased, and the recovery speed increased clinically. Also, regarding the secondary outcome of this study, no significant difference between the placebo and intervention groups in the number of painkillers participants took.
Conclusion
The ginger ointment could not significantly improve episiotomy wounds' pain and healing rate, but it was clinically helpful. So more studies with different doses of this ointment are needed.
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