Continual postoperative antibiotic peritoneal lavage in diffuse peritonitis complicating cesarean section.

Nine women treated surgically for diffuse peritonitis complicating cesarean section underwent continual postoperative antibiotic peritoneal lavage as an adjunct to surgery. In all the patients the indication for surgery was failure to respond to standard medical therapy. Seven patients treated with hysterectomy recovered without evidence of continuing peritonitis or intraabdominal abscess formation. One of two patients in whom uterine conservation was attempted required an emergency hysterectomy three days later. In this series, continual postoperative antibiotic peritoneal lavage appeared to be an effective adjunctive treatment in the prevention of continuing peritonitis and abscess formation provided that hysterectomy was performed at the initial operation.