Retrospective evaluation of vacuum-assisted peritoneal drainage for the treatment of septic peritonitis in dogs and cats: 8 cases (2003-2010)

Objective To describe the use of vacuum‐assisted peritoneal drainage (VAPD) in dogs and cats with septic peritonitis. Design Retrospective descriptive study. Setting University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Animals Six dogs and 2 cats with septic peritonitis. Interventions Application of VAPD after abdominal exploration. Measurements Pre‐ and post‐operative physical and clinicopathologic data, surgical findings, treatment, VAPD fluid production, outcome, and survival are reported. Main results Eight nonconsecutive cases of septic peritonitis, consisting of 6 dogs and 2 cats, were treated surgically and had VAPD applied post‐operatively. The mean duration of clinical signs prior to surgical intervention was 4 ± 3 days. VAPD therapy was applied for a mean of 2 ± 1.1 days and collected a median of 27 mL/kg/d of abdominal effusate. The median time in hospital was 5 days and abdominal closure was completed in 5 of the 8 patients. All specimens collected at surgery cultured positive for bacteria, most commonly Enterococcus spp. The peritoneum of 4 animals was cultured at the time of abdominal closure; 1 was negative and 3 were positive for Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp. or gram‐positive cocci. Cultures before and after surgery differed in 2 patients. Hypoproteinemia was present in all patients postoperatively. Three patients were considered survivors, all of which were dogs. Five patients died or were euthanized due to cardiopulmonary arrest (n = 3), pyothorax (n = 1), and acute, severe, septic peritonitis (n = 1). Conclusions VAPD is available for maintaining abdominal drainage for the treatment of septic peritonitis after surgical intervention; however, similar to open abdominal drainage and closed suction drainage, nosocomial infection and hypoproteinemia remain challenges in the treatment of septic peritonitis.