Background:

The conduction of episiotomy is a questioned practice given the strong scientific evidence on its adverse effects. The study objectives were to know the episiotomy rate and its adaptation to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, Consumption and Social Welfare and assess the associated factors.

Methodology:

It has been made a Observational, descriptive and transversal quantitative study, it was carried out in the University Clinical Hospital Arrixaca. Data were collected from deliveries attended between January 1, 2016 and October 30, 2017, obtaining a sample of 10,630 women, registered in the SELENE computer program which is the clinical database of said hospital. To perform the data analysis, were used the SPSS statistical program and an Excel database. At the first level, it was carried out a descriptive analysis of the obstetric variables and, at a second level, the data were compared with the Ministry of Health indicators by means of a comparison of two proportions and the chi-square test. In order to estimate the Effect Size, the Cramer V was used for qualitative variables and the relative risk was calculated for each pair of qualitative variables as a relative measure of the effect, to determine the strength of association between the variables.

Results:

The episiotomy rate was 36.5%. When the birth started spontaneously, the percentage was 35.5%, when it was induced 47.2% and stimulated rate was 42.3%. The rate in eutocic deliveries was 20.6% and in instrumented was 95.25%. In primiparas, the episiotomy was 49.64% and in multiparas the conduction was 15.55%. Was observed a tendency of second-degree tears (43.40%), followed by first-degree (35.61%) and third-degree (19.81%) with episiotomy.

Conclusions:

The episiotomy rate in our study exceeds current recommendations. The variables associated with the performance of the episiotomy are induced or stimulated delivery, instrumentation and primiparity. There is a significant relationship between the practice of episiotomy and the greater degree of tear.

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