REEDA scale is a clinical tool or method used for assessing the severity and healing complication associated with perineal trauma in the postpartum period. To understand REEDA Assessment in detail, we first need to know what perineal trauma is. Let's get started.

What is Perineal Trauma?

Perineal trauma is associated with viginal tear or episiotomy. It is any tear in the area between the vigina and anus (perineum) that occurred naturally or made by doctors during childbirth when the baby's head is larger than the average size or the viginal opening is unable to stretch enough for the baby's head to come out. This is very common, especially among those women who are experiencing the viginal birth of the baby for the very first time.

The signs and effects of perineal trauma can be seen immediately after the baby's birth and can persist for around two weeks. In the case of third and fourth-degree perineal trauma, this period can increase to a few more days or even weeks.

Primarily, perineal trauma can be categorized into four parts: first degree, second degree, third degree, and fourth-degree perineal trauma. The first-degree perineal trauma indicates a minor tear or episiotomy while the fourth-degree trauma defines a severe tear or episiotomy that covers the entire perineum area.

Now that you know the basics of perineal trauma, it will be easier for you to understand what Reeda assessment is.

What is REEDA Assessment?

REEDA Scale or REEDA Assessment is one among many clinical tools, such as heart score. It is a method of evaluating the healing complications based on five elements, including Redness, Edema, Ecchymosis, Discharge, and Approximation. This method is used by obstetricians to give a particular REEDA score to patients based on the recovery performance on all the five elements we mentioned just above.

A patient can receive a total REEDA score from 0 to 15 with a 0 to 3 score for each inflammatory sign. A total REEDA score between 11 to 15 indicates that the perineal trauma is in a severity stage.

That's all for this post. To know more about the REEDA scale, visit the Medical Algorithms website. You will get to know a lot about this medical term along with other useful tools and indexes used in the healthcare sector.