This local anesthetic is used before an episiotomy or forceps delivery or for repair of the perineum after birth?

• A. Perineal Block
• B. Pudendal Nerve Block
• C. Epidural Anesthesia
• D. Local Infiltration

Answer: (A)

Focusing the anesthesia on the perineal area provides rapid, targeted numbness exactly where an episiotomy is made or the perineal repair is performed. A perineal block is a localized infiltration of local anesthetic into the perineal tissues (around the posterior fourchette and adjacent perineal area) to block the sensory nerves supplying that region. This lets the clinician perform the episiotomy, assist with forceps delivery if needed, or repair the perineum after birth without the mother feeling pain in the perineal skin and muscles.

This approach is quicker and involves fewer systemic effects than neuraxial techniques like an epidural, which affect a larger portion of the body and are typically used for labor analgesia or longer procedures. Pudendal nerve block can also numb the perineal region but is more involved and deeper; for routine perineal procedures, the perineal block is the most practical, focused option. Local infiltration is a broader term, but the perineal block describes this specific perineal-targeted technique used in these procedures.