Effects of open and closed decompression on the water content and motility of experimentally obstructed small bowel in the rabbit

Abstract

Abstract Oedema is a feature of obstructed bowel. In experimental low small intestinal obstruction the obstructed bowel of the rabbit contained 7.4 per cent more water than normal. After relief of obstruction, with or without active surgical decompression, oedema regressed. However, when there was no net loss of fluid from the animal a temporary increase to 16.6 per cent of normal occurred at 12 hours after relief, diminishing to 6.1 per cent above normal at 24 hours. The rate of recovery of motility as measured by fluctuations in intraluminal pressure was unaffected by the temporary increase in oedema or by surgical decompression.