Table 3.
Surgical and clinical characteristics at the time of the first, second and third repeat laparotomy for persistent peritonitis
| First repeat laparotomy | Second repeat laparotomy | Third repeat laparotomy | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 98 | n = 54 | n = 21 | ||
| Time since previous surgery, days, mean ± SD | 5 ± 5 | 6 ± 4 | 6 ± 5 | 0.32 |
| Reasons for reoperation | ||||
| Sepsis, n (%) | 23 (23) | 17 (32) | 3 (16) | 0.27 |
| Septic shock, n (%) | 59 (60) | 28 (55) | 12 (63) | 0.61 |
| Other reasons, n (%) | 16 (16) | 9 (17) | 6 (29) | 0.40 |
| Intraoperative diagnosis, n (%) | ||||
| Anastomotic leakage, n (%) | 25 (26) | 9 (17) | 4 (21) | 0.43 |
| Perforation or ischaemia, n (%) | 17 (17) | 14 (26) | 4 (21) | 0.44 |
| Purulent collection, n (%) | 27 (28) | 15 (28) | 5 (26) | 0.93 |
| Other causes, n (%) | 8 (7) | 10 (18) | 2 (10) | 0.15 |
| No cause, n (%) | 21 (21) | 6 (11) | 6 (32) | 0.15 |
| Clinical characteristics at the time of reoperation | ||||
| Temperature, °C, mean ± SD | 38.2 ± 1.2 | 38.1 ± 1.4 | 38.0 ± 1.5 | 0.53 |
| WBCs, 109/L, mean ± SD | 19.5 ± 11.2 | 20.7 ± 10.6 | 21.6 ± 10.5 | 0.65 |
| Creatinine (μmol/L) | 159 ± 121 | 180 ± 129 | 202 ± 153 | 0.30 |
| SOFA score, mean ± SD | 7 ± 4 | 8 ± 4 | 9 ± 3 | 0.33 |
| ≥2 organ dysfunctions, n (%) | 45 (46) | 27 (50) | 11 (52) | 0.81 |
| Haemodynamic failure1, n (%) | 62 (63) | 31 (57) | 14 (67) | 0.69 |
| Respiratory failure1, n (%) | 38 (39) | 22 (41) | 5 (24) | 0.37 |
| Renal failure1, n (%) | 25 (26) | 18 (33) | 4 (21) | 0.39 |
1Grade 3 or 4 of the SOFA score. WBCs, white blood cells; SOFA, sequential organ failure assessment.