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Laparoscopic Antibiotic Lavage to Prevent Intra-abdominal Abscess Formation in Complicated Appendicitis

Laparoscopic Antibiotic Lavage to Prevent Intra-abdominal Abscess Formation in Complicated Appendicitis (ALPACA), a Multicenter Single-blinded RCT.

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06841003
Acronym
ALPACA
Enrollment
752
Registered
2025-02-21
Start date
2025-02-28
Completion date
2027-05-31
Last updated
2025-02-21

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Complicated Appendicitis, Intra-Abdominal Abscess

Brief summary

Appendicitis is one of the most common causes of acute surgical admission. Presently, two types of appendicitis are distinguished: complicated and uncomplicated (phlegmonous). Complicated appendicitis (CA) is defined as gangrenous and/or perforated appendicitis and/or appendicitis with an intra-abdominal or pelvic abscess. Laparoscopic appendectomy has become the preferential mode of surgical treatment. However, development of an intra-abdominal abscess (IAA) remains an important and clinically relevant complication following appendectomy, especially in complicated appendicitis. Although patients with complicated appendicitis receive postoperative intravenous antibiotics, the incidence of IAA remains considerable. The reported incidence of IAA in children and adults with CA is 7.9% - 24%. We recently reported an IAA rate of 12.3% after laparoscopic appendectomy for CA in our own institution. Patients with IAA are readmitted and treated with either antibiotics, image-guided percutaneous drainage, surgical reintervention, or a combination of these treatments. Furthermore, IAA represents a considerable burden for the healthcare system with high readmission rates and reinterventions, prolonged hospital stay, and therefore increased medical costs. Intra operative techniques aiming at more effective infection source control represent a clinically relevant area of investigation. Laparoscopic antibiotic lavage represents a promising concept in order to reduce intra-abdominal abscess formation. Antibiotic lavage is mainly known for the treatment of peritoneal dialysis associated peritonitis. Several studies show promising results of antibiotic peritoneal lavage on the incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) including IAA in patients with CA. However, these studies were retrospective or conducted in a small number of patients who underwent an open appendectomy while high quality randomized controlled trials have not been performed yet. The aim of the ALPACA study is to evaluate the effect of laparoscopic antibiotic peritoneal lavage with gentamicin / clindamycin for 3 minutes after appendectomy on the incidence of IAA in patients with CA.

Interventions

DRUGLaparoscopic antibiotic peritoneal lavage with gentamicin / clindamycin

Peritoneal antibiotic lavage using a solution of gentamicin/clindamycin in NaCl 0.9%.

Sponsors

ZonMw: The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development
CollaboratorOTHER
Spaarne Gasthuis
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
8 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* All patients ≥ 8 years with a preoperative diagnosis of acute appendicitis either with or without clinical or radiological suspicion of CA undergoing a laparoscopic appendectomy for intra-operative confirmed CA that can provide a signed written consent form.

Exclusion criteria

* Age under 8 years; * Not able to give informed consent (language barrier, legally incapable) * Any contraindication for the use of the study medication: * Hypersensitivity to clindamycin or to any of the excipients benzyl alcohol, sodium edetate, water, or to lincomycin; * Hypersensitivity to gentamicin or to sodium metabisulfite: particularly in asthmatic patients, this may trigger bronchospasms and anaphylactic shock or to any of the excipients: disodium edetate, sodium hydroxide, sodium metabisulfite (E223), water for injections; * Severe sepsis defined as sepsis-induced tissue hypoperfusion or organ dysfunction that includes any of the following thought to be caused by the infection: * Sepsis-induced hypotension * Lactate above upper limits laboratory normal * Urine output \<0.5 mL/kg/h for more than 2h despite adequate fluid resuscitation * Acute lung injury with PaO2/FiO2 \<250 in the absence of pneumonia as infection source * Acute lung injury with PaO2/FiO2 \<200 in the presence of pneumonia as infection source * Creatinine \>2.0 mg/dL (176.8 μmol/L) * Bilirubin \>2mg/dL (34.2 μmol/L) * Platelet count \< 100,000 μL * Coagulopathy (international normalized ratio (INR) \> 1.5); * ASA IV score; * Known malignancy; * Renal dysfunction (i.e. eGFR ≤ 60); * Immunocompromised patients (i.e. hematological malignancies, HIV/AIDS, bone marrow transplantation, splenectomy, genetic disorders such as severe combined immunodeficiency, chemotherapy, dialysis, solid organ transplant, and immunosuppressant use (such as corticosteroids in patients with rheumatoid arthritis)); * Pregnancy; * Known allergies to either gentamicin or clindamycin; * Known colonization of bacteria resistant to either gentamicin or clindamycin;

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
The incidence of intra-abdominal abscess (IAA)Within 30 days follow-up

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
The type of treatment for the intra-abdominal abscess, consisting of percutaneous (radiological drainage), surgical drainage, antibiotic treatment or observation onlyWithin 90-days follow-up
Microbial cultures of intra-operative aspirate, based on culturesWithin 90-days follow-up
Operating timeFrom the moment of start surgery (the incision) to wound closure.
Readmission rateWithin 90-days follow-up
Reoperation rateWithin 90-days follow-up
Length of stay (including readmission)Within 90-days follow-up
Adverse events of antibiotic peritoneal lavageWithin 90-days follow-up
The number of participants with wound infections measured by tracking any wound complications that these patients have and comparing the incidence between treatment armsWithin 90-days follow-up
MortalityWithin 90-days follow-up
Quality of lifeWithin 90-days follow-upMeasured by digital questionnaire of EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D)
The number of postoperative consultations will be measured by tracking any postoperative consultation that these patients have and comparing the incidence between treatment armsWithin 90-days follow-upIncluding emergency department visits, telephone consultations and outpatient consultations
Cost-effectivity,Within 90-days follow-upCost-effectivity will be determined by IMTA Productivity Cost Questionnaire (iPCQ)
Microbial cultures of postoperative intra-abdominal asbcess, based on culturesWithin 90-days follow-up
Cost-effectivityWithin 90-days follow-upThe cost-effectivity will be determined by iMTA Medical Consumption Questionnaire
Surgical complications according to the Clavien-Dindo classificationWithin 90-days follow-up

Contacts

Primary ContactEmeline Gebro, Master of science degree
alpaca@spaarnegasthuis.nl+31(0)23 2241685

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026