[Serum endotoxin level in the course of open peritonitis treatment]

In 27 patients with severe diffuse purulent or fecal peritonitis planned relaparotomies with peritoneal lavage or continuous dorsoventral lavage with open abdomen were performed after surgical treatment of the primary infection. During the course of the lavage treatment serum endotoxin was measured daily. The endotoxin-induced liberation of lysosomal proteases was studied by determining the elastase from polymorphonuclear leucocytes. 16 surviving patients showed decreasing endotoxin levels and decreasing elastase concentrations during the course of abdominal lavages. Planned peritoneal lavage and continuous dorso-ventral lavage seem to have the same potency in eliminating endotoxin from the infected peritoneal cavity. In letal courses endotoxinemia either persisted at high levels or even progressed inspite of lavage treatment.