A MODIFIED COMBINATION TECHNIQUE FOR PERFORMING DIAGNOSTIC PERITONEAL LAVAGE

Existing open diagnostic peritoneal lavage techniques (DPL) use small bore catheters. through a small lower midline incision or infra‐umbilical incision. This study evaluated a modified DPL technique using a 10 mm umbilical incision. with open insertion of a 20 French peritoneal lavage catheter. The catheter has 27 radial side holes in the terminal distal 13 cm, and a female Leur lock connector, Warmed saline is infused via a cystoscopy infusion set. The time required to peform a new technique was studied in 10 patients. The median time to catheter insertion was 2.4 ±3.8 min, infusion time 0.75± 0.3 min, effusion time 0.3 ±1.7 min, and a median total time of 7.6 ± 4.2 min (median ± s.d.). There were no complications. This technique of DPL is cosmetically attractive, much quicker than existing techniques and we have found its initial use encouraging.