Colon wound management and prograde colonic lavage in large bowel trauma

Between 1983 and 1987 prograde colonic lavage was prospectively evaluated in 389 patients with colon trauma. Predefined high risk patients had exteriorization of the primarily sutured colon. Intra-peritoneal primary closure was otherwise used. Patients received prograde colonic lavage by random allocation. The healing exteriorized colon was interiorized 5–10 days after the initial surgery. The median age was 29 years and only 28 patients were women. Injuries were due to stab (316), gunshot (54), shotgun (10) or blunt trauma (9). Exteriorization of the primarily sutured colon was carried out in 217 patients of whom 101 had prograde colonic lavage. Twenty (9 per cent) died. Of the survivors, 150 (76 per cent) had their colon successfully interiorized and this rate was unaffected by prograde colonic lavage. Intraperitoneal primary closure was performed in 172 patients of whom 91 had prograde colonic lavage. Seven (4 per cent) died. Mortality was directly related to the number of associated injuries. Prograde colonic lavage, irrespective of the type of colonic wound management used, did not reduce the mortality rate, which was 7·2 per cent for those who had such lavage and 6·6 per cent for the rest. Prograde colonic lavage cannot therefore be recommended in colon trauma.