[Programmed lavage as a basic principle in therapy of diffuse peritonitis]

The therapeutic concept of programmed lavage has been established in the treatment of severe diffuse peritonitis. This treatment was given to 30 patients from January 1995 to February 1997. The total lethality rate was 30% (11/30 patients). Ten patients had organ failure of three or four organ systems at the time of first laparotomy. In this group the lethality rate was 50%. On average 9.2 programmed relaparotomys were performed per patient. As early complications, small bowel fistulas were observed in three patients, bleeding in three patients and problems due to the laparostomy in four patients.