Monitoring of electrical activity of small bowel in patients with generalized peritonitis

Objective

To define the range of normal values of electromyography (EMG) parameters, to study their changes in favourable and unfavourable run of postoperative period, to study the possibility of automatization of EMG.

Subjects

We examined 41 peritonitis patients (10 died) with different etiology (in sum 122 observations).

Methods

The PEG-8 electrode was placed on the serosa of small bowel 50 cm distal of Traiz ligature during operation. The EMG curves were registered by `Mingograft-81' and processed manually. The EMG curves from eight patients were amplified (I-400) and recorded into IBM PC/AT-386. The frequency and amplitude of slow waves (FSW and ASW), standard deviation of duration of slow wave (SDDSW), the percent of spike activity (SA), amplitude of spike activity (ASA) were calculated, stored in special file and statistically analysed (t-test, elementary statistic and histogram methods were used).

Results

EMG curves of 14 patients recovered from peritonitis with restored bowel function were examined. On the base the ranges of normal values of EMG parameters were obtained.

The unfavourable prognostic signs were the values of SDDSW more than 0.9 c (dysrhythmic EMG curve) and values of FSW less than 9/min. In patients with severe peritonitis the significant growth of ASW was found. The significant differences of SA and ASA between patients with mild and severe peritonitis, favourable and unfavourable outcomes were not established (P> 0.05). Based on our data the working market of automized system for registration and interpretation of EMG was elaborated.

Conclusion

The obtained data can help in objective estimation of EMG activity of small bowel in peritonitis.

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