1 The efficacy of whole bowel irrigation with a solution containing either polyethylene glycol (PEG) with electrolyte or an adsorbent (Kayexalate™) with a cathartic (sorbitol) was investigated in 18 dogs who had been given 250 mg kg -1 paraquat dichloride via a jejunal tube to eliminate the influence of gastric absorption.
2 Plasma paraquat concentrations 2 and 3 h after the initiation of bowel irrigation and at the end of the study (5 h later) were significantly lower in the bowel irrigation groups than in the control (no bowel irrigation) group.
3 The total body clearances of paraquat in the bowel irrigation groups were significantly greater than in the control group.
4 There were no significant differences between the two different irrigation solution groups in plasma paraquat concentration, the area under the plasma concentration time curve and the total body clearance.
5 In the PEG with electrolyte group, about 70% of the administered dose of paraquat was removed by means of bowel irrigation (n=4).
6 The adjunction of the adsorbent had no beneficial effects.
7 Haemodynamic changes associated with whole bowel irrigation were unremarkable except that right atrial and pulmonary arterial pressures were elevated in the latter part of the study.
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