Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Surgical treatment of septic peritonitis without abdominal drainage in 28 dogs.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association
- Year:
- 2001
- Authors:
- Lanz, O I et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
This study looked at the surgical treatment of 28 dogs with a serious condition called septic peritonitis, which is an infection in the abdomen. The researchers found that nearly half of the dogs, 46%, did not survive, with most cases caused by leaks in the intestines. They noted that the health indicators measured, like white blood cell counts and protein levels, did not show significant differences between the dogs that survived and those that didn't. Interestingly, the outcomes were similar to other studies where the abdomen was left open after surgery, but the researchers believe that better medical care may have improved results. Overall, the study suggests that closing the abdomen after fixing the source of the infection, along with proper cleaning and medical care afterward, could be a reasonable approach for treating this condition.
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: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11204482/