Objective: To study the usefulness of gentamicin-containing sponges in the infected peritoneal cavity in rats.
Design: Controlled study.
Material: 83 Male Wistar rats, 36 of which were treated by plain sponge, 36 by gentamicin-impregnated sponge, and 11 acted as controls.
Interventions: A standard model of intraperitoneal infection was developed by making a 1 cm long incision in the caecum.
Main outcome measures: Postoperative mortality, macroscopic and microscopic features of infection, and bacterial concentrations in the abdomen on days 3, 6, and 9.
Results: In the respective groups 2, 3 and 2 animals died during operation and 4/34 (11%), 3/33 (9%); and 0/9 died before day 3. There were appreciable reductions in the number of animals with features of infection after 3 days but these were not significant at 6 or 9 days.
Conclusion: Gentamicin-containing collagen sponges placed on a septic focus in the abdomen reduce local infection for at least 3 days.