title: Whole bowel irrigation in children: prolonged post-irrigation diarrhea due to isotonic saline.
abstract: Whole bowel irrigation (WBI) was performed in 60 children aged two to 16 yrs (mean 5.1 +/- 0.5 yrs) in preparation for surgery (n: 59) and rectoscopy (n: 1). Isotonic saline (n: 43) and lactated Ringer's solutions (n: 17) were infused for irrigation. Vital signs remained stable during the procedure. Negligible electrolytic alterations were encountered. In general, WBI was well tolerated by all the patients. Two (3.3%) patients had abdominal cramps, vomiting was observed in nine (15%) and edema developed in one (16%). The results of the preparation were assessed as satisfactory in 45 cases (75%), adequate in 10 cases (16.6%) and poor in 5 cases (8.3%). Diarrhea, as a complication of saline, has not been reported previously in the literature, but was observed in 32 of our cases (74.4%), and lasted 2-5 days (mean 3.38 +/- 0.7 days) after irrigation. In addition, it is noteworthy that bile-stained intraluminal clear fluid was seen only in the patients who had been irrigated with lactated Ringer's solution. Our research related to this observation is continuing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Senocak
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Büyükpamukçu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hiçsönmez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology*; D005751:Gastric Lavage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D012965:Sodium Chloride