Objective To evaluate the repair techniques of continuous and interrupted methods for episiotomy or perineal tears.Design A randomised controlled trial.Setting The Hospital Universitario Principe de Asturias, a state hospital belonging to the community of Madrid.Sample Four hundred forty-five women who had undergone vaginal deliveries with episiotomies or second-grade tearing of the perineum between September 2005 and July 2007.Methods One group was repaired with continuous, nonlocking sutures involving the vagina, perineum, and subcutaneous tissues. The other group had continuous, locking sutures of the vagina, interrupted sutures in the perineal muscles, and interrupted transcutaneous sutures. The threads used for stitching were identical in both groups.Main outcome measures The participants were questioned regarding the sensation of pain and the use of painkillers on the second and the tenth days, and 3 months postpartum.Results When comparing the group with continuous suture to the group with interrupted sutures, the differences included less repair time (1 minute; P = 0.017) and less suture material used (relative risk [RR], 3.2, 95% CI: 2.6-4.0). The comparison of pain on the second and tenth days, and 3 months postpartum were not statistically different between the two techniques (RR, 1.08, 95% CI: 0.74-1.57; RR, 0.96, 95% CI: 0.59-1.55; and RR, 0.68, 95% CI: 0.19-2.46, respectively). ConclusionsAlthough we did not demonstrate that one technique was better than the other in the incidence of pain in the short or long term, we showed that episiotomy and perineal tear repairs with continuous suturing were quicker and used less suture material without an increase in complication than interrupted suturing.

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BackgroundPregnancy in rheumatic diseases is a process that requires careful handling, beginning with proper planning. Infertility and chronic use of teratogenic drugs are some common situations in these patients, giving them a high-risk obstetrics.ObjectivesTo established a protocol for planning and monitoring pregnancies in patients with rheumatic diseasesMethodsRetrospective review of a follow-up protocol for patients with rheumatic diseases and pregnancy wishes. This protocol includes: preconception consultation to asses fertility of the couple, as well as pregnancy couselling and establishment of a appropriate pharmacological treatment; after pregnancy period start, monthly consultations by a multidisciplinary team; and finally, a postpartum consultation after deliveryResultsA total of 51 patient with different rheumatic diseases were included: Sistemic Lupus Erythematosus (8 patients), Sjogren'S Syndrom (10 patients), Rheumatoid arthritis (13 patients), Psoriatic arthritis (5 patients), Behcet's disease (3 patients), Spondiloarthritis (2 patients), Familial Mediterranean Fever (2 patients), Conective mixed Tissues Disease (1 patient), Primary Antiphospholipi Syndrom (2 patient) an Hyper IgD Syndrome (1 patient). The results were: Infertility was detected in 8 couples and assisted reproductive techniques was requieres in 7 (6 IVF and 1 insemination). Safe Pharmacological treatments were used: sulfasalazine (4), hydroxychloroquine (13), azathioprine (2). Biological DMARDs in 3 patients (1 infliximab and Certlizumab in 2). Other treatments were: steroids (12) and intravenosus immunoglobulins for fetal heart block (2). All patients with thrombophilia have been treated with LMWH alone or plus aspirin. The course of pregnancy was:delivery at term (28), delivery pre-term (3)**, miscariages (3)*, pregnancy on course (7), neonatal death (1) and 8 patients are plannig the pregnancy. The abortions have occurred in 2 patients with lupus erythematosus and in 1 patient with rheumatoid arthritis. Postpartum care of newborns with mothers with positivity anti-Ro has objectified a neonatal transfer of Acs in 100% of cases;only 8 of them developed neonatal SLE.ConclusionsA satisfactory evolution of pregnancy was observed in 87% of our patients, a fact that supports our impression that this process should be approached in a multidisciplinary team. Infertility is a situation that should be considered and treated at an early stage in this patients, preferably before preconceptional period.Disclosure of InterestNone declared