Third- and fourth-degree tears: A review of the current evidence for prevention and management

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Third- and fourth-degree tears are associated with significant pain, discomfort and impact on quality of life and intimate relationships. Australian women experience comparatively higher rates of third- and fourth-degree tears relative to countries of similar economic development. AIMS: We aimed to conduct a comprehensive review of the literature, published over the past five years, to identify the best ways to prevent and manage third- and fourth-degree perineal tears in Australian maternity centres. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched the literature using the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Maternity and Infant Care Database and Google Scholar for artic..