Mediolateral Episiotomy in Patient Safety, Preventive & Ethics — Case | Ethics | SMLE Q#1252
SMLE Question #1252
Patient Safety, Preventive & Ethics
Ethics
Last updated: February 2026
A 27-year-old primiparous woman presents on postpartum day 10 after an operative vaginal delivery with a mediolateral episiotomy. She reports persistent foul-smelling vaginal discharge, perineal pain, and dysuria. At a postpartum visit 5 days ago, she was given empiric oral antibiotics for suspected urinary tract infection without urinalysis, urine culture, or pelvic examination, and her symptoms persisted. A pelvic examination today shows purulent discharge from the episiotomy site, and swabs are sent for culture. What is the most appropriate description of the medical error made by the first obstetrician?
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