[Wound healing and wound irrigation in cesarean section of cattle]

Calves were delivered by Caesarean section in 128 cases during the early months of 1984. All animals were allocated alternately to a trial group and a group of controls. When the peritoneum and transverse muscle had been sutured, the wounds of the animals in the trial group were irrigated and washed with 300 ml. of Betadine (10 per cent of PVP-iodine in water). This was followed by closure of the wound. The animals of the group of controls were not treated. The procedure was performed in ninety-four primiparae (73 per cent) and thirty-four multiparae (27 per cent). The indication for Caesarean section consisted in fetal oversize in 119 cases (93 per cent). Eight calves (6 per cent) were stillborn or died immediately post partum. The proportion of animals in which the placentae were retained, was 9 per cent. Two animals died from peritonitis and intra-abdominal haemorrhage respectively. Irrigation of the wound did not have any effect on the number of wound infections (Table 3). Wound infection occurred in nineteen animals (15 per cent). The operations were performed by six veterinary surgeons (Table 4). The trial group and group of controls treated by each veterinarian did not differ essentially as regards wound healing.