Duration of postoperative pneumoperitoneum.
OBJECTIVE
To find out the duration of postoperative pneumoperitoneum and the factors that are responsible for its persistence.


METHODS
Prospective open (non-random) study.


METHODS
County hospital, Denmark.


METHODS
32 patients over 18 years of age undergoing abdominal operations during a 6 month period.


METHODS
Abdominal radiographs with the patient in the left lateral position were taken at fixed time intervals until no free air could be seen.


METHODS
The amount of free air and the time postoperatively by which it had disappeared.


RESULTS
In 20 [corrected] patients the air had disappeared within 48 hours and only one patient (3%) had free air for more than five days postoperatively. High body mass index and a small initial amount of free air were associated with the shortest period of postoperative pneumoperitoneum.


CONCLUSIONS
Postoperative pneumoperitoneum disappeared within two days in most patients. Heavier patients and patients with small volumes of free air initially had the shortest duration of pneumoperitoneum. There were large variations among patients in the volumes of free air.
Nielsen
K T
KT
Department of Surgery and Radiology, Randers Hospital, Denmark.
Lund
L
L
Larsen
L P
LP
Knudsen
P
P
D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011027:Pneumoperitoneum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D013997:Time Factors