Shiraz E-Med J. 2016 March; 17(3):e36286.

doi: 10.17795/semj36286.

Published online 2016 March 27.

Research Article

The Effects of Lidocaine and Mefenamic Acid on Post-Episiotomy Pain:

A Comparative Study
Masoumeh Delaram,1,* Lobat Jafar Zadeh,2 and Sahand Shams3
1

Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, IR Iran
Faculty of Medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, IR Iran
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, IR Iran

2
3
*

Corresponding author: Masoumeh Delaram, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, IR Iran. Tel: +98-3813335648, Fax:
+98-3813346714, E-mail: [email protected]

Received 2016 January 13; Revised 2016 February 29; Accepted 2016 March 04.

Abstract
Background: Most women suffer pain following an episiotomy and oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly used
for pain relief. Due to the gastrointestinal side effects of oral drugs, it seems that women are more accepting of topical medications
for pain relief.
Objectives: Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the effects of lidocaine and mefenamic acid on post-episiotomy pain.
Patients and Methods: This clinical trial was carried out in 2011. It involved sixty women with singleton pregnancy who were given
an episiotomy at 38 to 42 weeks of gestation. The participants were randomly divided into two groups. One group received 2% lidocaine cream (n = 30), while the other group received 250 mg of mefenamic acid (n = 30). The data were collected via a questionnaire
and a visual analog scale. Pain intensity was compared from the first complaint by the mother and at 6, 12, and 24 hours after the
delivery in both groups. The data were analyzed using SPSS (version 16), the t-test, and the paired t-test, and a P value of less than
0.05 was considered significant.
Results: The mean intensity of pain at the first compliant was 4.92 1.9 in the lidocaine group and 4.90 1.5 in the mefenamic acid
group, and the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.20). Additionally, there was no significant difference in the mean
intensity of post-episiotomy pain between the two groups at 6 (P = 0.05), 12 (P = 0.36), and 24 (P = 0.98) hours after childbirth.
Conclusions: The effects of the lidocaine cream and mefenamic acid were similar in terms of the relief of post-episiotomy pain.
Lidocaine cream therefore represents a good alternative to mefenamic acid, which is commonly used to reduce pain following an
episiotomy, especially in women who are breastfeeding and who wish to avoid oral analgesic drugs being secreted in their milk.

Keywords: Lidocaine, Mefenamic Acid, Post-Episiotomy Pain

1. Background
Episiotomy is a common surgical procedure that is performed during childbirth, although little evidence supports its routine use (1, 2). At least 35 45% of women
in developing countries who give birth in a hospital setting are given an episiotomy (3). The perineal pain experienced due to receiving an episiotomy is severe during
the first few days after delivery, and it can lead to limitations in movement and difficulties with urination and
defecation (2). Studies have also shown that episiotomyrelated pain may affect sexual contact (4). Different pharmacological methods are commonly used for the relief of
perineal pain following an episiotomy, including aspirincodeine, acetaminophen-codeine, sodium diclofenac, and
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). The nonmedicinal methods applied for pain relief include cold
and heat, acupressure, acupuncture, relaxation, distraction, and music therapy (5). The use of oral analgesics is

common, although their adverse effects include constipation, nausea, abdominal pain, and dizziness, all of which
limit their use. Due to the adverse effects of oral analgesics,
topical pain relief methods have been considered, including hot and cold compresses, topical anesthetic, and radiation. Lidocaine gel is one of the local anesthetics used for
pain relief. It blocks the sensory neurons of neuronal membranes by inhibiting sodium, thereby preventing the transmission of nerve messages and the sensation of pain. Indeed, 2% lidocaine gel influences the structure of the perineal nerve through the skin or membrane (6). In obstetrics, lidocaine gel is used to anesthetize the perineum during the second stage of labor, and its benefits include less
systemic absorption and increased ease of administration
(7). In terms of the effect of lidocaine on post-episiotomy
pain, previous studies have reported conflicting results.
For example, one study reported that the severity of the
perineal pain in the group that received lignocaine gel in

Copyright 2016, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0
International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits copy and redistribute the material just in noncommercial usages, provided the
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Delaram M et al.

the first 48 hours after childbirth was less than that in the
group that received a placebo (7). However, another study
reported opposite results (8).
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are analgesic
agents that are commonly used worldwide, and their effectiveness in the treatment of acute pain has previously been
studied (9). Such drugs inhibit the oxygenase cycle and reduce the production of prostaglandins (10). Their physiological effects involve protecting the gastric mucosa, regulating the renal blood flow, and setting the tone of the vascular endothelium (11). They also play an important role
in inflammation, although the mechanism of this action
has not yet been fully explained (12). Mefenamic acid is
one of the NSAIDS used for the relief of pain following an
episiotomy. It is more commonly used in the treatment of
primary dysmenorrhea, headache, toothache, and postoperative pain. It has been suggested that mefenamic acid
should not be taken for more than seven days. The typical
adult dose is 500 mg three times a day, although the dose
is different for children. After ingestion, mefenamic acid
is rapidly absorbed and it has a short half-life of approximately 2 hours (9). A review of four studies that involved
a total of 842 people reported that the degree of pain experienced after receiving 500 mg of mefenamic acid was
reduced in 50% of patients, whereas the pain reduction
was 20% in the group that received a placebo (13). Little
research has previously been conducted comparing the effects of lidocaine and mefenamic acid in reducing the perineal pain experienced after an episiotomy.

2. Objectives
Since no prior study has compared the effects of lidocaine cream and mefenamic acid on post-episiotomy
pain in primiparous women, this study was carried out
to compare the impact of the two methods of pain relief on episiotomy-related pain in a teaching hospital in
Shahrekord, Iran.

3. Patients and Methods

This study involved a randomized controlled trial that
was conducted from February 2011 to December 2011 at the
antenatal clinic and post-delivery ward of Hajar hospital, a
university hospital and referral center for obstetric care in
Shahrekord, Iran. Permission to conduct the study was received from the deputy of research and the ethics board of
Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences (code of ethics:
90-4-9). The study also received a clinical trial code from
the Iranian registry of clinical trials (IRCT201104253078N7).
During the study period, a total of 420 women who gave
2

birth at Hajar hospital experienced perineal trauma during childbirth that required repair. Some 280 of those
women gave written informed consent to take part in the
study and 118 of them were found to be potentially eligible to participate. Of those, 58 women were excluded from
the study, while 60 women who underwent a normal vaginal delivery and mediolateral episiotomy, and who met
the inclusion criteria, were selected by convenience sampling. They were randomly allocated into the two groups.
One group (n = 30) received 250 mg of mefenamic acid,
while the other group (n = 30) received 2% lidocaine cream
(Figure 1). The randomization was performed according to
a random number table. The exclusion criteria included
women who had a postpartum hemorrhage, manual removal of the placenta, severe asthma, gastric or duodenal
ulcer, and preeclampsia. Women with a known sensitivity to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, a laceration
of the perineum, an episiotomy longer than 5 cm, and an
adverse reaction to local anesthetics were also excluded.
The participants received written and verbal information
about the study at 37 weeks at the antenatal clinic and
they were given the same information on admission to the
postnatal ward by the ward midwife. All participants who
agreed with the study procedures and volunteered to participate signed the free and informed consent form. Neither the women nor the investigators could be blinded to
the purpose of the study, although the individual responsible for data analysis was blinded.
After the birth and at the time of admission to the
post-delivery ward, the intensity of the perineal pain was
assessed by the ward midwife using a visual analog scale
(VAS) at the time of first complaint by the women and prior
to them taking the first dose of their allocated medication. Then, 250 mg of mefenamic acid was administered
to the patients in the first group, while the patients in the
second group received 5 ml of 2% lidocaine cream on the
episiotomy line. The topical lidocaine cream was manufactured by the Tehran Chemie Pharmaceutical Company
(Tehran, Iran) and each 100 g of the cream contained 2.5 g
of lidocaine and 2.5 g of prilocaine. The mefenamic acid
was manufactured by the Raha Pharmaceutical Company
(Esfahan, Iran). The drugs were available in the hospital
pharmacy. Socio demographic information was provided
by the patient records. The visual analog scale asked the
women to score their pain from 0 = no pain to 10 = worst
possible pain (5). The primary outcomes were pain scores
at 6, 12, and 24 hours after birth and with rest. The secondary outcomes relating to pain were the frequency of
use of the allocated medication, use of additional analgesia, time from birth to first analgesia, dosing intervals, and
any adverse effects of the therapeutic medications. The
data were analyzed using SPSS (version 16). The categoriShiraz E-Med J. 2016; 17(3):e36286.

Delaram M et al.

Gave Birth at Hajar's Hospital and Had Perineal

Trauma Requiring Reparing (n = 420)

Gave Written Informed Consent (n = 280)

Eligible for Taking Part in the Trial (n = 118)

Providing Meeting Inclusion Criteria (n = 60)

Random Allocation

Lidocaine Group (n = 30)

Analysed (n = 30)

Mefenamic Acid Group (n = 30)

Excluded the Study Due to:

1.Not Experiencing the Perineal Pain (n = 28)
2. Postpartum Hemmorrhage (n = 6)
3. Manual Removal of Placenta (n = 3)
4. severe Asthma (n = 2)
5. Gastric or Duodenal Ulcer (n=3)
6. Preeclampsia (n = 4)
7. Sensitivity to Anti-inflammatory Drugs (n = 2)
8. laceration of Perineum(n = 6)
9. length of Episiotomy Larger than 5 cm (n = 3)
10. Adverse Reaction to a Local Anesthetics (n = 1)

Analysed (n = 30)

Figure 1. Flowchart of the Study Protocol

cal variables were compared using the 2 and Fishers exact

tests, while the continuous variables as measured on the
visual analog scale were compared using the independent
samples t-test. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered
to be statistically significant with a confidence interval of
95%. The individual responsible for analyzing the data was
blinded to the treatment groups.

4. Results
The two groups were well balanced in terms of their
demographic characteristics upon entry into the study, as
well as their labor and birth outcomes (Table 1). The study
outcome data were available for 100% of the women at 6,
12, and 24 hours after birth. A comparison of the mean intensity of pain in the two groups is presented in (Table 2),
which shows that there is no statistically significant difference in the intensity of pain at the point of first compliant
following rest between the two groups (P = 0.20). Additionally, no significant difference in the intensity of pain at 6
hours after childbirth was found between the two groups
(P = 0.05). The mean intensity of the post-episiotomy pain
was also not significantly different at 12 hours after childbirth between the two groups (P = 0.36). Further, the difShiraz E-Med J. 2016; 17(3):e36286.

ference was still not significantly different at 24 hours after

childbirth between the two groups. There was no significant difference in the incidence of using the medications
during the 24 hours after delivery (P = 0.98), receiving additional analgesic for pain relief, and the time from birth to
the first additional analgesia (Table 3). No adverse effects of
the therapeutic drugs were reported in the two groups.
The mean birth weight was 3071 439 g in the group
that received lidocaine and 3016 419 g in the group that
received mefenamic acid, and the difference was not significant (P = 0.62). No significant difference was found in
the Apgar score at 1 minute after birth and upon admission
to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The mean frequency of drug use was 3.20 1.9 in the lidocaine group
and 3.22 1.7 in the mefenamic acid group, and again the
difference was not significant (P = 0.40). No adverse effects
of the drugs were reported.

5. Discussion
The findings of the present study showed that both lidocaine cream and mefenamic acid were able to reduce
the severity of post-episiotomy pain over time, and there
was no significant difference in the intensity of pain be3

Delaram M et al.

Table 1. Demographic Characteristics of the Participantsa

Group Treatment

Lidocaine, n = 30

Mefenamic Acid, n
= 30

P Value

23.6 4.6

24.2 3.8

0.56

Demographic
characteristics
Age, y
Height, cm

160 5.2

162 4.4

0.05

Weight, kg

57.9 11.4

57.9 8.6

0.99

1.4 0.5

1.6 0.8

0.46

Parity

0.3 0.4

0.2 0.6

0.47

Gestational age
based on LMP,
week

39.4 0.59

39 0.89

0.07

Gestational age
based on
sonography, week

39.8 0.48

39.5 1

0.004

3.2 0.8

3.60.9

0.10

Abortion

Length of
episiotomy, cm
a

Values are expressed as mean SD.

Table 2. Pain Intensity at the Time of First Complaint and 6, 12, And 24 Hours After
Birth in the Two Groupsa

Group Treatment

Lidocaine

Mefenamic Acid

P Value

At first complaint of
pain

4.92 1.9

4.90 1.5

0.20

6 hours after birth

3.26 1.3

3.10 1.6

0.05

12 hours after birth

2.26 1.7

2.86 1.4

0.36

24 hours after birth

1.46 1.2

1.49 1.2

0.98

Time of assessing pain

Values are expressed as mean SD.

Table 3. Comparison of Additional Analgesia Prior to Discharge, Time From Birth to

First Additional Analgesia, and Frequency of Use of the Therapeutic Drugs Between
the Two Groupsa

Variables

Lidocaine, n = 30

Mefenamic Acid, n
= 30

P Value

Additional
analgesia prior to
discharge

11 (36)

12 (40)

0.35

Time from birth

to first additional
analgesia (h)

5.2 1.1

4.9 0.9

0.19

Frequency of use
of therapeutic
drugs (24 h)

0.84

Values are expressed as mean SD or No. (%) of women.

tween the two groups. Only a limited number of studies

have previously been conducted to compare the effects of
4

two sedative pain following an episiotomy. In this regard,

a study conducted in Ireland reported mefenamic acid and
lignocaine to have similar effects on the severity of postepisiotomy pain (14), which is consistent with our findings.
Delaram et al. cited Abedzadeh (5) when noting that lidocaine gel reduced the intensity of pain at 6 and 12 hours after administration. Another study showed that lidocaine
cream was able to reduce the severity of pain after an episiotomy within 15 minutes of delivery, although this effect was not present at 30, 60, and 90 minutes after birth
(15). Yet, in another study, although the recipients of lignocaine gel reported less pain than the placebo recipients,
the difference was only significant at 48 hours after delivery (7). Further, a study reported that lidocaine gel and a
diclofenac suppository have the same effect on episiotomy
pain relief during the first day postpartum (16). Studies
that examined the effect of mefenamic acid on dysmenorrhea reported the drug to reduce the pain in primary
dysmenorrhea (17). In a study conducted with the aim of
reducing acute pain following surgery using mefenamic
acid, the recipients reported at least 50% pain reduction
with 500 mg of mefenamic acid after 6 hours, while this
rate was 4% for the placebo group (9). The need for an additional analgesic was also lower in the group that received
mefenamic acid than in the placebo group (9). Another
study reported that the administration of 500 mg of mefenamic acid is effective in relieving moderate to severe pain
after surgery (13).
The mode of delivery (i.e., normal delivery, forceps, or
vacuum) can affect post-episiotomy pain; however, in the
present study there was no significant difference in the
mode of delivery between the two groups. A study from
Colombia reported that when forceps are used for delivery,
there is a greater need to use an analgesic to reduce pain after an episiotomy (18). The type of episiotomy can also be
effective in reducing pain. Since we only used a mediolateral episiotomy in the present study, this confounder variable did not affect the results.
Additionally, the effect of the analgesic drugs used
during labor and after giving birth could affect the outcome of the study, although there was no significant difference between the two groups in this regard. Although
the present study found no significant difference between
the effects of lidocaine cream and mefenamic acid on
post-episiotomy pain and hence determined that lidocaine
cream is a good alternative to mefenamic acid, it should
be noted that some patients may prefer the oral form of
a drug to the local form (19). Although the study did not
report any adverse effects of the utilized drugs, the potential side effects of these drugs should still be noted and the
necessary care provided.
The strengths of the present study were the random asShiraz E-Med J. 2016; 17(3):e36286.

Delaram M et al.

signment of participants to the study groups and the measuring of the side effects of the medications. The relatively
small sample size and the inability to follow the patients
and assess their pain intensity at 48 hours and during the
first week after delivery can be seen as limitations of the
present study.
5.1. Conclusion
The effects of lidocaine cream and mefenamic acid on
the relief of post-episiotomy pain were similar. Lidocaine
cream is therefore a good alternative to mefenamic acid,
which is commonly used to reduce pain following an episiotomy, especially in women who are breastfeeding and
who want to avoid oral analgesic drugs being secreted in
their milk.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by grants from the medical
research council of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences in Iran (grant NO.976). The authors especially wish to
thank the women who participated in the study. The study
was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov. The protocol registration system was IRCT201104253078N7.
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