Question

After delivery of a 9-pound baby, the nurse assesses a perineal laceration extending through the muscles of the perineum. The nurse records this as a ______ degree laceration?

1) First
2) Second
3) Third
4) Fourth

Answer 1

A perineal laceration that extends through the muscles of the perineum but not the ana! sphincter is classified as a second degree laceration.

Step-by-step explanation:

After delivery of a 9-pound baby, the nurse assesses a perineal laceration extending through the muscles of the perineum. The nurse would record this as a second degree laceration. A first-degree laceration involves only the lining of the vagina and the perineal skin. A second-degree laceration extends through these tissues to the muscles of the perineum but not the ana! sphincter. A third-degree laceration goes through the perineal muscles and the external ana! sphincter, while a fourth-degree laceration extends completely through the ana! sphincter and into the mucous membrane of the rectum.