Preliminary Evaluation of the Viability of Peritoneal Drainage Catheters Implanted in Rats for Extended Durations

ABSTRACT

Purpose/Aim: In developing a novel peritoneal oxygenation therapy, catheters implanted into the peritoneal cavity became obstructed with omental tissue and prevented the infusion and removal of fluid from the peritoneal cavity. The obstruction of peritoneal catheters is a significant failure in researching various peritoneal treatments as further fluid administration is no longer possible. The purpose of this preliminary study was to determine the most effective catheter design for infusion and removal of fluid into the peritoneal cavity of rats. Materials and Methods: Four types of catheters were tested including the Jackson-Pratt, round fluted drain, flat fluted drain, and an original design. Three of each catheter type were surgically placed into the peritoneal cavity of rats (n = 12). In order to test the efficacy of each catheter, saline was infused and extracted twice daily. Catheters were scored on a weighted scale based on the amount of time they remained patent, the subjective force needed for extraction/infusion, and the amount of saline removed. Results: The round and flat fluted drain catheters remained patent for the full duration of the study (12 days) compared to the other models which failed after 7 days. These catheters also yielded a high average for extracted saline volume and an easy extraction/infusion. Conclusions: The round and flat fluted drain catheters were recognized as viable options to be used in rats for peritoneal drain studies of up to 12 days.

Keywords::

• abdominal surgery
• peritoneal drainage
• catheter blockage
• animal model
• Jackson-Pratt
• long term patency

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We wish to thank UNL's IACP staff who helped us in performing the procedures and for caring for the animals used in this study.

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this work was provided by the National Science Foundation grant EEC-1263181 and the DHHS-NHLBI of the NIH under award number 1 R21 HL129144-01 The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH. Additional funding was provided by the University of Nebraska Biomedical Research Seed Grant No. 507 and the Nebraska Research Initiative Grant.