A Comparative Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Medicated and Plain Water Sitz Bath on Episiotomy Wound Healing among Postnatal Mothers in Selected Hospitals of District Mandi, Himachal Pradesh

The postpartum period requires appropriate perineal care to promote recovery and prevent complications following episiotomy. Although both plain water and medicated sitz baths are used for perineal care, comparative evidence in the study setting was limited. A quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental post-test-only design was adopted. Thirty postnatal mothers with episiotomy were selected through non-probability purposive sampling and allocated equally to Group A, receiving plain water sitz bath (n=15), and Group B, receiving medicated Betadine sitz bath (n=15). Both interventions were administered twice daily for five consecutive days, and episiotomy wound healing was assessed on the fifth day using the REEDA Scale. Group A had a mean REEDA score of 8.93 ± 0.884 (mean percentage 59.56%), whereas Group B had a mean score of 6.80 ± 0.941 (mean percentage 45.33%). The between-group difference was statistically significant (unpaired t=6.400, p<0.001). Most participants in both groups had moderate REEDA scores; however, Group A included 6.7% with severe infection, whereas Group B included 6.7% with mild infection and none with severe infection. Among selected variables, occupation was significantly associated with REEDA scores in Group B (χ²=15.000, p<0.001), while the other assessed variables were not statistically significant. The findings indicated better post-test wound-healing scores in the medicated Betadine sitz bath group than in the plain water group.