None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Appendicitis which is perforated has a high complication rate in children. To decrease this some surgeons use a washout to remove the purulent fluid whilst others don't, and there is conflicting evidence as to which is best. Our aim is to investigate this to improve the care and outcomes of children with this common condition
Interventions
Peritoneal lavage, an intraoperative technique, will be used in the intervention/exposure group. Peritoneal lavage as a technique involves the peritoneal cavity being lavaged (flushed) with
a minimum of 2000ml of saline solution and then suctioned to remove the fluid. This is a routine surgical technique with the purpose of removing contaminants (from the perforated appendix) from the peritoneal cavity. This occurs once at the end of the procedure and will be conducted by the surgeon and/ or th
Peritoneal lavage, an intraoperative technique, will be used in the intervention/exposure group. Peritoneal lavage as a technique involves the peritoneal cavity being lavaged (flushed) with a minimum of 2000ml of saline solution and then suctioned to remove the fluid. This is a routine surgical technique with the purpose of removing contaminants (from the perforated appendix) from the peritoneal cavity. This occurs once at the end of the procedure and will be conducted by the surgeon and/ or the surgical assistant.
Sponsors
Monash Children's Hospital
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
4 Years to 16 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
- Four to 16 years of age (inclusive) - Complex appendicitis (as diagnosed by the surgeon intra-operatively), defined by widespread purulent tissue in the peritoneal cavity and/or evidence of a perforated appendix. - No major co-morbidities that may lead to higher likelihood of postoperative complications - Laparoscopic appendicectomy
Exclusion criteria
- Patients or parents/ legal guardians of patients unwilling to participate in the study - Absence of complex appendicitis as a diagnosis - Conversion of laparoscopic appendicectomy to open procedure
Outcome results
None listed