Abdominal Operations: Effect on Subsequent Experimental Faecal Peritonitis

Abstract

Rats were subjected to laparotomy, anaesthesia only (controls), laparotomy plus 1-cm-segment ileum isolation, or no treatment (controls) and were challenged with endogenous faecal peritonitis 1 and 2 weeks later, respectively. Survival rates were 40% for the laparotomy group and 100% for the ileum isolation group, whereas all controls died. The number of peritoneal leucocytes, particularly macrophages and neutrophils, was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the laparotomy group than in the control group. The data show that abdominal operations alone—and especially in combination with a minor infectious challenge—entail an increased tolerance to subsequent peritonitis, possibly mediated by the previously stimulated and sensitized leucocytes.

Key Words:

• Macrophages
• mortality
• operations
• abdominal
• peritonitis
• faecal