Antiseptic vs. saline lavage in purulent and faecal peritonitis

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.