PROGRAMMED LAVAGE, A BASIC METHOD OF TREA TMENT OF DIFFUSE PERITONITIS

The therapeutic concept of programmed lavage has been established in t he treatment of severe diffuse peritonitis. This treatment was given t o 30 patients from January 1995 to February 1997. The total lethality rate was 30% (11/30 patients). Ten patients had organ failure of three or four organ systems at the time of first laparotomy. In this group the lethality rate was 50%. On average 9.2 programmed relaparotomys we re performed per patient. As early complications, small bowel fistulas were observed in three patients, bleeding in three patients and probl ems due to the laparostomy in four patients.