Evaluation of the Effect of Saffron 20% Cream on the Level of Infection and Episiotomy Dehiscence

Episiotomy is one of the most common gynecologic surgery that was done in the second stage of labor, in order to facilitate the delivery. Cutting this area is associated with pain and discomfort. Healing causes pain relief and returning to daily activities became faster. Considering that the high rates of episiotomy infection, we decided to examine the effect of topical cream, saffron 20%, on women who had undergone episiotomy. This randomized, double-blind clinical trial study was performed on 60 primiparous women in 2013-2014 who underwent vaginal delivery and episiotomy at in Taleghani Hospital of Arak. Intervention group recieved 20% topical cream containing saffron extract three times daily for 2 weeks and the control group received a placebo cream. Wound status and its healing were investigated in the first, seventh and fourteenth postpartum. There was a significant difference between both groups with healing of episiotomy location in seventh(p=0.54) and fourteenth(p=0.003) days and the continuity process of the wound edges in the first (p=0.015), seventh(p=0.013) and fourteenth(p=0.001) days. there was no statistically significant difference about the opening the wound in the first day(p=0.492), There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in seventh(p=0.001) and fourteenth(p=0.026) days. This study showed that saffron extract cream 20% can be effective for episiotomy wound healing and wound edges continuity.