Rifamycin lavage in the treatment of experimental intra-abdominal infection.
OBJECTIVE
Peritoneal lavage with rifamycin reduces the number of intraperitoneal bacteria and adhesions and improves the outcome of intra-abdominal infection (IAI).


METHODS
Experimental IAI was induced in Wistar rats. After 24 h, the animals underwent relaparotomy. A peritoneal fluid sample was obtained and lavage of the abdominal cavity was performed. Animals were randomly assigned to the three following groups: lavage with 0.9% sodium chloride solution (S group); lavage with rifamycin at the dose of 25 mg/kg (R25 group); and lavage with rifamycin at the dose of 12.5 mg/kg (R12.5 group). Mortality was recorded every 8 h for 7 d. All animals that died had a necropsy. Surviving rats were later sacrificed and also underwent a necropsy. At necropsy, intraperitoneal adhesions were noted and a peritoneal fluid sample was obtained for bacterial analysis.


RESULTS
Peritoneal lavage with rifamycin improved survival from 50% in the S group to 91.7 and 100% in the R25 group and R12.5 group, respectively. Adhesion formation was significantly reduced in the R25 group and R12.5 group compared with the S group (P < or = 0.01 and P < 0.01, respectively). There was a greater reduction in bacterial counts in peritoneal fluid in the R25 group compared with the S group (P = 0.003) but there was no significant difference in the reduction of bacterial count between R25 group and R12.5 group.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that peritoneal lavage with rifamycin improves the outcome of IAI.
Jallouli
Mohamed
M
Department of Paediatric Surgery, Hedi Chaker Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia. mohamed.jallouli@rns.tn
Hakim
Ahmed
A
Znazen
Abir
A
Sahnoun
Zouhir
Z
Kallel
Hatem
H
Zghal
Khaled
K
Hammami
Adnene
A
Mhiri
Riadh
R
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D010533:Peritoneal Lavage; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012294:Rifamycins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D012294:Rifamycins