5ICCN_020: Intraperitoneal microdialysis in the postoperative surveillance of children with congenital abdominal wall defect. A preliminary report

The aim of this preliminary study was to investigate the safety and clinical application of intraperitoneal microdialysis (MD) in infants after operation for congenital wall defect. Ten children (seven with gastroschisis and three with omphalocele) underwent MD. One was excluded from analysis due to malfunction of the catheter. Samples were collected every four hours. Concentration of glucose, glycerol, pyruvate and lactate were measured. The median time of microdialysis was 132 hours. Planned MD time was 168 hours. Six patients fulfilled this plan; in one of these the catheter leaked and was changed during secondary closure of the abdomen and caused no further complications In two patients a redness of skin around insertion was noticed on day two and three, respectively. In both patients it disappeared gradually within the next few days without any specific treatment. In one infant leakage of peritoneal fluid was noted at the insertion site of the MD catheter. The catheter was removed on day four after otherwise uncomplicated cause because of the infant’s transfer to a residential hospital. The concentration of lactate, pyrovate, glucose, glycerol and glutamate in the peritoneal cavity was measured every four hours, and the preliminary results showed difference from the concentration in peripheral blood. Application of MD catheter caused no serious and only few minor side effects. Peritoneal microdialysis is a safe procedure and an applicable method in surveillance of metabolic changes in the peritoneal cavity in infants after operation for congenital abdominal wall defect.