Diclofenac rectal suppository: an effective modality for perineal pain

To determine the frequency of perineal pain after childbirth after a single dose of diclofenac rectal suppository.

This cross-sectional study was conducted at Shaikh Zayed Women Hospital, Larkana, Pakistan, from April to September 2014, and comprised patients who were admitted to the labour room for normal vaginal delivery. A single dose of rectal diclofenac suppository of 100mg was given to the patients delivered vaginally or by second-stage emergency Caesarean section. Post-partum pain was noted after 12 and 24 hours of the administration of analgesia. SPSS 16 was used for data analysis.

Of the 169 subjects, 63(37.28%) were aged 20 years or less, 85(50.3%) between 21 and 30 years, and 21(12.43%) between 31 and 40 years. Frequency of perineal pain was predominantly mild in 95(56%) patients, moderate in 60(35.5%) and severe in 14(8.28%).

The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory rectal suppositories was found to be a simple and highly effective modality of reducing the perineal pain.