One-day bowel preparation in children with colostomy using normal saline

• Published in: African journal of paediatric surgery 2011-09, Vol.8 (3), p.291-293
• Main Authors: Ameh, Emmanuel A, Lukong, Christopher S, Mshelbwala, Philip M, Anumah, Mark A, Gomna, Alexander
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Antibiotics; Bowel preparation; Cathartics - therapeutic use; Child; Child, Preschool; Colon; Colostomy; Demographic aspects; Digestive System Surgical Procedures - methods; effectiveness; Ethics; Female; Humans; Infant; Irrigation; Male; Methods; normal saline; one-day; Ostomy; Physiologic salines; Preoperative care; Preoperative Care - methods; Prospective Studies; safety; Sodium Chloride - therapeutic use; Surgery; Teaching hospitals
• ISSN: 0189-6725; 0974-5998
• DOI: 10.4103/0189-6725.91670

Colonic and colorectal surgery frequently requires bowel preparation. This is an evaluation of the use of normal saline for one-day bowel preparation in children with colostomy. A prospective study of 55 children with colostomy who had one-day bowel preparation for colonic and colorectal surgical procedures in a 3-year period. The information, along with clinical data was recorded on a structured proforma. Data were analysed using SPSS version 11.0. There were 33 boys and 22 girls. The median age was 4 years (range, one month - 13 years). The primary diagnosis were as follows: Anorectal malformation, 24 (44%); Hirschsprung`s disease, 24 (44%); Faecal incontinence- post-abdominoperineal pull-through, 2 (4%); Penetrating rectal injury, 1 (2%); others, 4(8%). Intraoperative bowel luminal fluid cleanliness was assessed as clear in 36 (62%) and contaminated in 21 (38%). Overall, postoperatively, superficial surgical site infection occurred in 6 (10.9%) patients (2 had clean intraoperative colonic fluid, 5.9%. One-day bowel preparation using normal saline is effective and safe in children with colostomy.