Introduction: Episiotomy is a surgical enlargement of the soft birth canal through an incision in the perineum during the latter part of the second stage of labor. Episiotomy is a common cause of postpartum pain in the perineum. Cryotherapy is a commonly used non-invasive method of pain relief that is compatible with breastfeeding. Purpose: Aim of the diploma thesis was to describe the impact of cryotherapy on the relief of postpartum perineal pain after vaginal delivery with episiotomy, and to present the role of the nurse, through a review of professional and scientific literature Methods: A descriptive method of work was used to create the thesis, with a review of professional and scientific literature. Literature was searched through the portal of the Digital Library of the University of Ljubljana (DiKul), bibliographic databases Cochrane Library, PubMed, CINAHL, Science Direct and with the help of Google Scholar. We used English keywords: episiotomy, cryotherapy, nursing care, postpartum pain and keywords in Slovenian: epiziotomija, krioterapija, zdravstvena nega, poporodna bolečina. Literature published form 2012 to 2022 was included in the literature review. Results: 14 articles were analyzed. Analyzes show that cryotherapy is an effective non-pharmacological method of relieving postpartum pain after episiotomy. Postnatal mothers tolerated the cryotherapy well, without side effects. Postnatal mothers who used cryotherapy reported a lower level of pain, especially in the first week after giving birth. Cryotherapy is performed according to the clinical judgment of medical professionals, with the aim of reducing pain, with the consent of the woman. Discussion and conclusion: After vaginal birth with episiotomy, women experience varying degrees of pain in the perineum, which appears in the first few hours after delivery. Non-pharmacological methods are safer during breastfeeding. Cryotherapy is often used among non-pharmacological means to relieve pain in the perineum after childbirth. Cryotherapy, which begins immediately after birth or up to 24 hours after delivery, is effective in relieving pain and is among the most suitable methods for the clinical practice of midwifery and nursing. The nurse must be familiar with the effective relief of postpartum pain and the correct use of cryotherapy. The task of a nurse is to educate, help and support women with children in the postpartum period.
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