Perineal wound infections: an audit.

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.