Effectiveness of Ice Pack Application on the Level of Pain in Episiotomy Wound

Aim Evaluate the effectiveness of ice pack application on the level of pain in episiotomy wound among postnatal mothers. Methods A true experimental research design was adopted. Based on inclusion criteria, a simple random technique was used to select the samples of sixty postnatal mothers in to experimental and control groups. The structured interview was used to collect the demographic data from the participants. The obstetric data was collected from hospital records. Pretest was taken by using modified verbal descriptor scale from both experimental and control group on first day morning. After that, the investigator had administered ice pack over the episiotomy wound for 15-20 minutes to the experimental group and routine care was given to the control group. Ice pack application has been carried out twice a day both in morning and the evening at an interval of 10 hours. Results There was no significant difference between the experimental and control group in their pre test level of pain. In experimental group, the pretest mean score was 4.73 and t value =0.29, P=0.77 DF=58, on the 1 day morning. On the second day evening the post test mean score 0.87 and t value 12.16. In control group, pretest mean score on 1st day morning was 4.77 and t value 0.29, on the 2nd day evening post test score was 2.70 and t value was 12.16, P=0.001*** DF=58. On an average, in experimental group, postnatal mothers had 38.7 % pain reduction where as in control group 20.7 % pain reduction. It shows the effectiveness of ice pack application on episiotomy wound among the postnatal mothers in the experimental group. It is concluded that the ice pack application was very effective in reduction of pain in episiotomy wound among postnatal mothers.