title: Antiseptic vs. saline lavage in purulent and faecal peritonitis.
abstract: A prospective randomized trial compared antiseptic solutions and normal saline as a means of preventing morbidity and mortality from residual sepsis in patients with generalized peritonitis. Fifty-three patients, all given broad-spectrum antibiotics, were entered into the study. Twenty patients received a saline lavage, 19 lavage with chlorhexidine-gluconate and 14 a saline lavage with instillation of povidone-iodine. All deaths were due either to the severity of the presenting disease or co-existing complicating conditions. The incidence of postoperative pyrexia, wound infection and duration of hospital stay of the surviving patients were unaffected by lavage grouping.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vallance
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Waldron
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001062:Appendectomy; D002648:Child; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011206:Povidone-Iodine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011897:Random Allocation; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D011206:Povidone-Iodine; C010882:chlorhexidine gluconate; D002710:Chlorhexidine