Introduction: The most common spontaneus injuries sustained by women are perineal lacerations. The perineum is usually damaged in a place where the tissue is the thinnest, which means that the large majority of injuries are directed to the anal sphincter. Damage to the perineum and anal sphincter is a major factor in causing fecal incontinence. Fecal incontinence is an inconvenient state that is not reported too much. Knowing the risk factors can reduce the development of damage to the anal muscle. Purpose: We want to present the incidence of perineal laceration, to highlight risk factors for the formation of this, to present the impact of perineal laceration on the fecal incontinence and to present the role of the nurse. Methods: A descriptive method of work was used with a systematic review of domestic and foreign literature. The search was narrowed down to a specific time frame of publication from 2006 to 2018. Data was gathered from the following databases: COBIB.SI, Medline/PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar. 18 articles were included in the analysis. Results: The incidence of fecal incontinence is influenced by many risk factors such as a fetus larger than 4 kg, induced labor, medial episiotomy, occipito-posterior presentation. Prevention of risk factors during pregnancy could reduce postpartum fecal incontinence. The nurse is the one who spends 24 hours a day with a patient, continuously monitoring the healing of episiotomy and lacerations after birth, monitoring vital functions, helps to relieve pain, performs health care of the perineum. Discussion and conclusion: Perineal injury may occur spontaneously during vaginal delivery, so women who have previously suffered from perineal tears have bigger chance of developing fecal incontinence. Despite numerous risk factors for incidence of fecal incontinence, we can do a lot with our diet, pelvic floor muscle training and massage of the perineum during pregnancy. The nurse must be acquanted with tissue damage, be able to assess the degree of wound, the type of wounds, and to relieve pain in order to provide better health care for wome with perineal injury.
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