COMPARISON OF PERITONEAL-FLUID ANALYSIS BEFORE AND AFTER EXPLORATORY CELIOTOMY AND OMENTOPEXY IN CATTLE

The effect of right paralumbar fossa exploratory celiotomy and omentop exy on peritoneal fluid constituents was studied in 22 adult dairy cow s. Six cows were eliminated on the basis of physical examination findi ngs (n = 2), surgical findings (n = 2), or inability to obtain a suffi cient volume of peritoneal fluid (n = 2). Sixteen cattle had normal re sults of CBC and serum biochemical analysis, and a minimum of 1 ml of peritoneal fluid was obtained by abdominocentesis. Abdominocentesis wa s repeated on days 1, 2, and 6 after surgery. Statistical analysis for repeated measures was performed, using a significance level of P < 0. 05. Stage of gestation was evaluated for interaction with time. Mean t otal nucleated cell count was 3,200 cells/mu l before surgery, was sig nificantly increased 2 days after surgery (16,336 cells/mu l, and cont inued to increase through day 6 (20,542 cells/mu l). Mean polymorphonu clear cell count was 1,312 cells/mu l before surgery and was significa ntly higher at 2 (11,043 cells/ mu l) and 6 (10,619 cells/mu l days af ter surgery. Mean lymphocyte count was 254 cells/mu l before surgery a nd was significantly increased 2 days (1,911 cells/mu l) after Surgery . By day 6, lymphocyte numbers were similar to preoperative values. Me an mononuclear cell count was 770 cells/mu l before surgery and was si gnificantly increased on days 1 (3,084 cells/mu l), 2 (3,285 cells/mu l, and 6 (2,349 cells/mu l) after surgery. Mean eosinophil numbers wer e 1,388 cells/mu l before surgery and were significantly increased on day 6 (6,347 cells/mu l) only. Interaction between time and stage of g estation was found only for specific gravity and total protein concent ration. In general, specific gravity and total protein concentration i ncreased after surgery (mean before surgery, 1.016 and 3.6 g/dl; mean after surgery, 1.021 and 5.6 g/dl). Left paralumbar fossa celiotomy pe rformed 7 days after surgery did not reveal complications of repeated abdominocentesis, and pregnancy status was unchanged. Peritoneal fluid constituents are highly variable after exploratory celiotomy and omen topexy in cattle. However, results of this study may provide a referen ce for interpretation of postoperative peritoneal fluid sample finding s in cattle.