OPEN PERITONEAL DRAINAGE IN HORSES WITH EXPERIMENTALLY-INDUCED PERITONITIS

Peritonitis was induced in 12 horses by median celiotomy and 1 hour of small intestinal ischemia. Six horses had primary closure of the inci sion, whereas six horses had a plastic mesh sutured to the ventral abd ominal wall leaving the abdomen open for ventral drainage. The mesh wa s removed after 5 days and the abdominal wall was closed by apposition of the linea alba and subcutaneous tissues and approximation of the s kin edges. Peritoneal fluid was collected and analyzed for nucleated c ell count and total protein concentration on days 0 and 5. Serum bioch emical profiles, serum electrolyte concentrations, and complete blood counts were performed on days 0, 1, 2, 5, 6, 10, and 14. Body weight, rectal temperature, and physical examination findings were recorded da ily for 30 days, then horses were euthanatized and the abdominal cavit y was examined for the presence of adhesions. Histological examination was performed to assess the inflammatory response of the healing body wall; inflammation scores were significantly lower in horses that had primary closure of the incision. The mesh was well tolerated by all h orses and allowed egress of peritoneal fluid for 5 days. Adhesions wer e present in four control horses and in two horses that had open perit oneal drainage. All horses that had open drainage developed incisional infections after mesh removal. Abdominal wall herniation did not occu r in any of the horses. The mild peritonitis induced in this study was insufficient to establish the efficacy of open peritoneal drainage fo r an established peritonitis in horses; however, the results of this s tudy indicate that open peritoneal drainage is feasible in horses. (C) Copyright 1996 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons