The peritoneal lavage in standardized peritonitis models

The peritoneal lavage in peritonitis can be studied in a standardized manne r only in animal models, because peritonitis is too variable and dependent on too many patient related factors. In this article answers are given to q uestions on the influence of different lavage substances on survival, local and systemic concentrations of bacteria, endotoxin, and TNF as well as on mesothelial adherence of bacteria. These data refer to results from acute m odels of infection published in the literature. Furthermore, we show from o ur own chronic peritonitis model the influence of the peritoneal lavage on abscess formation and translocation. After inoculation of a Bacteroides fra gills suspension, a chronic abscess forming peritonitis was induced. At da y 3/7/14 intraabdominal abscesses were found in 2/4/6 of 8/5/6 animals in a n untreated, in 1/3/5 of 5/5/5 animals in a saline lavaged, and in 5/0/2 of 5/5/5 animals in a Taurolidin lava,oed group, respectively. Both, the intr aabdominal and the systemic bacterial dissemination were more effectively i nhibited by the Taurolidin lavage than by the saline lavage.