ENDOTOXEMIA - ITS RELATIONSHIP TO COLONIC ISCHEMIA AND AORTIC-SURGERY- A PRELIMINARY-REPORT

Ten patients undergoing elective infrarenal aortic surgery were studie d. Samples were taken perioperatively from a sigmoid tonometer to dete rmine intramucosal pH (pHi) of the sigmoid colon, and simultaneously v enous blood was taken for endotoxin measurement. Colonoscopy and biops y were performed preoperatively and one week postoperatively. Signific ant endotoxemia was detected in 5 patients (50%), all of whom had tran sient colonic ischemia on the basis of tonometry, and of whom 2 had hi stologic evidence of ischemia at one week. Endotoxemia does occur duri ng aortic surgery and appears to be associated with colonic ischemia, though this requires further evaluation.