Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Surgery for septic peritonitis in dogs - what to know
By Lanz, O I et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2001·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Surgical treatment of septic peritonitis without abdominal drainage in 28 dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 28 dogs with severe abdominal infections (septic peritonitis) was treated with surgery without leaving drainage tubes in place afterward. Unfortunately, nearly half of these dogs (46%) did not survive, mainly due to leaks from their intestines. The study found that closing the abdomen after fixing the source of the infection, along with careful cleaning during surgery and proper medical care afterward, could be a viable option for treating this serious condition. While the mortality rate was high, the approach may still offer a chance for recovery when managed correctly.
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surgical outcomes of 28 dogs with generalized septic peritonitis treated without postoperative abdominal drainage. The overall mortality rate was 46%, with most cases of peritonitis being caused by leakage of the gastrointestinal tract (75%). Etiology of peritonitis, abdominal cytopathology, total white blood cell count, packed cell volume, total protein, and results of serum biochemistries were not statistically different between survivors and nonsurvivors. The mortality rate of 46% is similar to other studies in which the abdomen was left open postoperatively for the management of septic peritonitis, although more advanced medical treatment than that used in earlier studies may have positively affected the outcome. The results of this study show that closure of the abdomen after the source of contamination has been successfully corrected, in combination with thorough intraoperative peritoneal lavage and appropriate postoperative medical management, may be an acceptable alternative method for the management of septic peritonitis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11204482/