BACTERIAL TRANSLOCATION DURING PEROPERATIVE COLONIC LAVAGE OF THE OBSTRUCTED RAT COLON

Peroperative antegrade colonic ravage is often performed before primar y anastomosis in emergency colonic surgery. The influence of colonic l avage on bacterial translocation from the obstructed colon was determi ned. Forty female Wistar rats were studied in four groups: (1) control ; (2) non-obstructed with lavage; (3) obstructed; and (4) obstructed w ith lavage. Ligature obstruction of the rectum was performed in groups 3 and 4. Some 4 days later S-35-radiolabelled Escherichia coli was in oculated into the colon of all animals. Groups 2 and 4 underwent colon ic lavage. Lavage in the group 4 animals with left-sided colonic obstr uction significantly increased the levels of E. coli in regional nodes , liver, spleen, lung, kidney and blood (as assessed by organ culture and scintillation counting) compared with those in groups 1, 2 and 3 ( P < 0.05). These results suggest that peroperative lavage of the obstr ucted colon significantly increases the level of bacterial translocati on.