PERITONEAL ABSCESSES DUE TO BOWEL PERFORATION - EFFECT OF EXTENT ON OUTCOME AFTER PERCUTANEOUS DRAINAGE

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of extent of peritoneal contamination in enteric abscesses on final outcome and duration of percutaneous dr ainage. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Results were retrospectively reviewed fo r 11 patients with varying degrees of peritoneal contamination seconda ry to subacute bowel perforation who were primarily treated with percu taneous drainage, Stepwise linear regression analysis of duration of d rainage was performed with use of patient age and immune status, the s ite of bowel perforation, and the number of peritoneal compartments in volved in the resultant contamination as independent variables. RESULT S: In 10 of 11 patients (91%) treatment of the resultant intraperitone al collections with percutaneous drainage was successful irrespective of the extent of peritoneal contamination. There was no correlation be tween duration of drainage and extext of peritoneal contamination but good correlation with patient age and site of bowel perforation (r = 0 .82, P = .02). CONCLUSION: In patients with enteric abscesses due to s ubacute bowel perforation, the duration of drainage and final outcome after percutaneous drainage are independent of the extent of peritonea l contamination.