Negative pressure therapy versus passive open abdominal drainage for the treatment of septic peritonitis in dogs: A randomized, prospective study

Objective: To compare passive open abdominal drainage (POAD) and negative-pressure abdominal drainage (NPAD) using the ABThera TM system in the treatment of septic peritonitis. Study design: Randomized prospective clinical trial. Animals: Dogs (n 5 16) with septic peritonitis. Methods: Dogs with septic peritonitis were randomly assigned to one of two treat-ment protocols: NPAD versus POAD. Anesthesia time, operating time, duration of drainage, costs, survival, and complications were compared between techniques. Hematological and biochemical parameters in blood and abdominal fluid, and histo-pathological findings of omentum and abdominal wall tissue samples were compared between NPAD and POAD at time of initial surgery and at time of closure. Results: Overall survival was 81%. Treatment costs, anesthesia and operating time, drainage time, survival, and postoperative complications were similar between techni-ques. Loss of total plasma protein and decreased inflammation-related factors in abdominal fluid at time of closure were noted in all patients. Neutrophilic inflamma-tion was greater in abdominal wall samples after NPAD. POAD patients showed discomfort during bandage changes and had frequent leakage of abdominal fluid out-side of the bandage.