The Effect of Phenytoin Cream in Comparison with Betadine Solution on Episiotomy Pain of Primiparous Women

Episiotomy is a medical intervention in delivery which is still one of the most common surgical procedures. Topical phenytoin cream possesses analgesic, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammation effects as well as accelerating tissue healing. Hence, the present study aimed to compare the effect of topical phenytoin cream with betadine solution on pain reduction of episiotomy incision. In this double-blind clinical trial, 120 primiparous women with episiotomy that were referred to Al-Zahra Medical Center of Tabriz in 2010 were randomly allocated to phenytoin or betadine groups (60 in each group). Pain assessment was determine and compared using visual analog scale (VAS) in the first 24-hours and then in the 10th day after delivery. Data analysis performed using chi-square, independent t-student and repeated measurements ANOVA tests. The mean pain intensity in the first 24-hours postpartum was 4.39 ± 1.11 in phenytoin group and in betadine group it was 7.11 ± 1.48 (p < 0.001). In the tenth day after delivery, mean pain intensity in phenytoin and betadine groups was 0.72 ± 1.04 and 3.45 ± 2.00 respectively (p < 0.001). The results showed that local phenytoin is effective on reducing the pain of episiotomy wound and can be replaced with betadine.