Diagnostic Peritoneal Lavage

Abstract

Diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL) is an invasive procedure, predominantly of historical significance, used to diagnose hemoperitoneum or bowel injury in patients who have experienced blunt or penetrating abdominal trauma. This procedure is now primarily used in hemodynamically unstable patients cared for in resource-constrained environments, to determine the need for exploratory laparotomy. Due to the rapidly progressing use of focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) and computed tomography (CT), DPL is no longer considered the primary modality for diagnosing blood in the abdominal cavity and has been removed from ATLS guidelines. The only absolute contraindication is an obvious need for laparotomy. Relative contraindications include coagulopathy, prior abdominal surgeries, abdominal wall infections, pregnancy, and morbid obesity. DPL can be done via two different approaches: open or closed. The most common technique is closed with modified Seldinger technique. The procedure can be performed through either infraumbilical or supraumbilical locations. The most common location is infraumbilical. Positive findings during a DPL indicate a need for emergent exploratory laparotomy for the hemodynamically unstable patient. Positive findings include >10 cc of frank blood or enteric contents aspirated during phase 1 of the procedure or >100,000 RBC/mm³ and/or >500 WBC/mm³ during phase 2 of the procedure. When resources are limited, DPL can be a useful procedure when determining the need for exploratory laparotomy.